Woods impressed by Rory
Only three players in golf history have won 10 or more majors, but Tiger Woods has helped to identify who might join him, Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen.
Woods goes into tomorrow’s Masters at Augusta with 14 to his name – three more than Hagen, but still four short of Nicklaus’ record.
Rory McIlroy goes into it with only last year’s US Open so far, but at 22 time is still very much on the young Northern Irishman’s side.
“He has all of the makings of being a great champion for a long period of time,” Woods said of McIlroy yesterday.
“We have seen obviously what he did last year at The Masters and how he came back at the (US) Open.
“He led, what, seven out of eight rounds in major championships last year, which is pretty impressive.”
It would, of course, have been eight out of eight if McIlroy had not collapsed so dramatically from four ahead on the final at Augusta last April.
But winning at Congressional two months later – by eight shots and with a record total – showed what the current world number two is made of.
“I had not met Rory at that time and I didn’t really know much about him,” Woods added.
“It was cool to see someone learn from their mistakes like that. He was playing so well and he just had one bad round.
“It happens to everybody. We’ve all been in those situations. He learned from it, applied it and ran away with it – that was some pretty impressive playing.
“He just needs to get more experienced. It seems like every single tournament he plays in he’s in the top 10 (make that top five in the seven months) and that’s great to see.”
If McIlroy can now take his revenge in the opening major of this season people will be talking even more about the dawn of a new era.
Woods might care to point out that he was not at the US Open, knee and Achilles heel injuries suffered at The Masters keeping him away from there and from Sandwich a month later.
The fact that he had his first PGA Tour victory for 30 months a fortnight ago, three weeks after McIlroy pushed him into second place at the Honda Classic, is what has all golf fans so looking forward to this week’s tournament.
As is Woods.
“It looks like it’s going to be a great week and I’m really looking forward to it.
“To go out there with the lead (at Bay Hill) and increase the lead was a good feeling.
“I’ve been putting together two good rounds, eventually three and now four.
“You can see the numbers. At the end of last year and most of this year I’ve been in contention.”
Amazingly this is Woods’s 18th Masters – “I’ve spent just about half my life playing this tournament” – while McIlroy is playing only his fourth.
It is only fair to point out, however, that there are 94 other players taking part. It would have been 95 but for American Dustin Johnson pulling out with back trouble yesterday.
