Rory McIlroy explains why Tiger Woods texts him at four in the morning

This just sums up the obsessive and workaholic nature of Tiger Woods.

Nearly all golf fans, serious and casual alike, were glad to see the return of Woods at the end of 2016. Everyone loves a comeback story and fans will be cautiously optimistic that Woods can regain some form as he looks to have an injury-free 2017. Woods finished in 15th place at the Hero World Challenge which took place in the Bahamas at the beginning of December. It was his first tournament after a 16 month absence and there were definitely causes for optimism as some of the old Tiger we know and love was evident. Woods carded a total of 26 birdies throughout that tournament, more than any other player but it was his mistakes clearly triggered by tiredness which made him fall down the leaderboard. Woods will no doubt be obsessing over how he can attack 2017, as this is a key trait of his personality. This is confirmed in an interview which McIlroy gave to the Sunday Independent whereby McIlroy reveals some of the late night habits of the 40-year-old.

"He struggles to sleep, I think is an effect of overtraining, so I tell him to calm down sometimes. He’d be texting me at four o’clock in the morning: ‘Up lifting. What are you doing?’", McIlroy says.

Woods' struggle to sleep may be something which could affect his form in 2017. At 40 years of age, Woods will need to maximise his rest opportunities in order to keep his body in top condition, especially as he wouldn't be accustomed to playing tournaments and the associated travel over the past 16 months. McIlroy also reveals that Woods is a deep character with many different sides to his personality.

"I’m drawn to him, yeah. He’s an intriguing character because you could spend two hours in his company and see four different sides to him. When he’s comfortable and he trusts you — and his trust (sensitivity) is way (higher) than mine — he’s great."