McIlroy dreams of tackling Tiger in last day head-to-head
The 20-year-old will this week make his US PGA Championship debut when he tees up tomorrow at Hazeltine National in Minnesota, making it his first year of playing all four majors.
Having finished down the pecking order at Firestone Country Club last week, McIlroy watched Pádraig Harrington take on world number one Woods in the final round of the World Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
Woods prevailed after Harrington took a triple bogey at the par-five 16th in Akron, Ohio, but up to that point it was just the sort of contest McIlroy, currently world number 29, envisages having with the American in the season to come.
“I think everyone would love to be in the position that Pádraig was in on Sunday going head-to-head with Tiger, especially having a three-shot lead and trying to hold him off,” McIlroy said yesterday at Hazeltine National.
“You know, hopefully one day I’ll be able to be in that position. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.”
Looking back on his first year playing all four majors, McIlroy gave himself a good grade having finished tied for 20th on his Masters debut.
He also tied for 10th at Bethpage Black in June at the US Open, and regardless of a T47 at last month’s Open Championship at Turnberry.
“For my first year in the majors, I’ve done very well,” he said.
“I’ve had a top-20 at the Masters, finished 10th at the US Open. Pretty disappointed at Turnberry not to finish higher.
“You know, the thing about majors, as well, is it’s almost easier to get yourself into position in a major to do well, rather than a normal tournament because, I feel, you don’t have to make as many birdies.
“You can just grind a few pars out and shoot a few decent scores around level par and you’ll know that you’ll not be far away.
“So in that respect, I feel as if I’ve done pretty well in the majors. I’ve learned how to be patient in these events, as well, because you have to be.
“You can’t go out chasing scores in these tournaments, because you know, a couple of bad shots here and there can cost you two or three shots, and two or three shots in these tournaments is a lot.
“No, I think the majors, I found this year, the majors are just about being patient and just trying to put yourself into position to where going into the last day.
“You can have a chance to contend or at least have a chance to put in a good finish.”
McIlroy, who won the Dubai Desert Classic for his maiden professional victory in February, also recognises he has to turn around a recent slump in form that saw him finish tied for 68th last week at Firestone.
“I struggled last week. I struggled just to sort of get anything going.
“I didn’t make a lot of birdies, and it just wasn’t all there.
“I’m working hard trying to get it back to the way it was.
“I feel as if I’ve played Scottish Open, The Open Championship, Bridgestone last week, and I hadn’t really had a good finish.
“So I’m just trying to work hard the next couple of days to get my game in as good of shape as possible going into Thursday. I know I’m not that far off the mark and it might come together this time.
“Hopefully this wil be the week that I can start shooting some good scores.”
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