Woods, McIlroy face off in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The world's two top golfers are meeting more and more often on the course, but neither No. 1-ranked Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods are ready to call it a rivalry.

The pair, set to meet at this week's Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, have established a blossoming relationship since playing together for the first three rounds of last year's tournament and have expressed a mutual respect for one another's game.

For a more heated rivalry to emerge, they need to face each other on Sunday with a tournament at stake. It has yet to happen, although Woods did make a run at McIlroy in last year's Honda Classic with a birdie-eagle finish.

Woods and McIlroy are paired together for first two rounds at Abu Dhabi starting Thursday.