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Dubai - Caroline Wozniacki brought the house down on Thursday when she spiced up Rory McIlroy's post-round news conference at the DP World Tour Championship by asking her boyfriend what she was getting for Christmas.
The Danish tennis player, a former world No 1, interrupted the normal talk about birdies and bogeys and five-irons and three-woods with a question out of the blue from the back of the room.
A smiling Wozniacki, dressed in all white, took the microphone from one of the reporters and asked McIlroy amid roars of laughter from the assembled media: "If you win this week am I going to get a really nice Christmas present?".
The world's No 1 golfer pulled his cap over his eyes before telling his girlfriend: "Have you not already got a lot of nice presents?
"I have been looking, I have been looking. But it won't take winning this week to buy you a nice present - I'll get you a nice present anyway."
It drew another smiling response from the golf-watching Wozniacki: "That must be because I'm an unbelievable cheerleader".
McIlroy prompted more giggles from the floor when he said: "You're a better tennis player", to which the Dane replied, "That's not very nice".
An expensive gift is sure to be heading Wozniacki's way next month with the Northern Irishman having already banked almost $13m in official earnings by winning the money-lists on both sides of the Atlantic.
McIlroy can add $1.33m to his bulging account by landing the first prize here this week plus a $1m bonus from the end-of-season prize pool.
He is, however, more concerned about adding the Dubai title to his European money-list crown come Sunday night.
"It would be great to emulate what Lee Westwood did in 2009 and win both trophies," he told reporters after a first-round 66 left him one stroke behind tournament leader Luke Donald.
"That's the goal and the motivation this week. I've come to the last two DP World Tour Championships with a chance of winning the money-list and missed out.
"Having already wrapped it up this year, I guess I can go out there and play without thinking about it. It is definitely a nice thing to not have that pressure on your shoulders."
