Barclays 2012 Golf Ledearboard Live Results: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy head to head

The Barclays 2012 Golf Ledearboard live coverage opens today as top 125 players in the FedExCup standings head to the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, N.Y., for the first phase of the PGA Tour playoffs.

Fresh from winning his second major PGA Championship golf tournament early this month, Rory McIlroy got a chance to tee up in the same group with Tiger Woods together with Zach Johnson at 1:06 pm ET at Bethpage State Park.

Tiger Woods said in press conference has all praise for the Irish, "I enjoy playing with Rory, and I hope he feels the same way about being in the same group as me. I got a chance this year to play with him at Abu Dhabi in a practice round there, and we really hit it off. He's a great kid and it's great to be around him. What an amazing talent he really is. I just hope that everyone just lets him grow and develop as a player because it's going to be fun to see over the next 20 years how this kid's career is going to pan out."

Meanwhile Rory McIlroy took a playful jab at the Tiger saying "Yeah, I'd love to go out there," McIlroy said. "I'd love Tiger to go out first and kick his (behind)."

The playoffs for the FedEx Cup get under way Thursday at The Barclays with the Woods-McIlroy buzz is bigger than usual. Check MCIlroy Barclays scorecard live, go here.

Meanwhile Tiger Woods has something to prove once again, as Woods is No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings for the fourth time in six years of this competition. McIlroy is No. 3, and Johnson moves into that group at No. 4.

Check Tiger Woods live scorecard at Barclays, go here.