Rory warned of toughest year

RORY McILROY faces the most testing 12 months of his young career, according to Ian Poulter, after deciding to take out a full US PGA Tour card next season.

After much speculation, the world number 17 confirmed the move yesterday ahead of this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open and will join Poulter, Pádraig Harrington and Paul Casey in splitting their schedules either side of the Atlantic.

Ryder Cup contender McIlroy, 20, said the move was designed to help improve his world ranking and ensure he puts himself up against the world’s best on a regular basis in order to be better prepared for the majors and World Golf Championship events.

“Rory has got himself into a position where he is 17 in the world; he has quickly put himself on the big stage,” said Poulter, who joined the US PGA Tour in 2005.

“If he want to play on the PGA Tour, then great. He is going to play in tournaments which have better fields than the ones he is in now.

“If he wants to take his card up it is going to be hard work. I have done it for the last few years, it is very tiring, but you can keep your status in Europe and on the PGA Tour and finish high up on both lists.

“I would expect him to finish high up on both orders of merit on both sides provided he plays well and gets the rest between all the travel, because he is going to travel more than he ever has.

“The opportunity is there and you can’t blame him for giving it a go.”

Despite

only winning his maiden title at February’s Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy is in the hunt for the Race to Dubai this season with just two events remaining.

He insists he will keep up his commitment to the European Tour in the future although he is certain to cut back to stay fresh for a long transatlantic season.

McIlroy played 11 events on the US PGA Tour last season, including all four majors and all three World Golf Championship events and only needs to play four more to fulfil his obligation.

“I’m not saying this to big up myself but you can see from my efforts in the majors and the World Golf Championships this year that I like to play in those fields because I just seem to be up for them, and they offer a bigger challenge,” said McIlroy.

“I can’t thank the European Tour enough but I am just in a privileged position where I play wherever I want, and besides I earned enough money in US Tour events to get my card so I have taken out membership.”

Two-time major winner Mark O’Meara has also backed the decision, despite this being only McIlroy’s second full season.

After playing with the Holywood ace for the opening two rounds in Dubai earlier this year, O’Meara insisted McIlroy was better than current world number one Tiger Woods was at the same age.

“I think it is wise. He is young and when you are young you might as well go for it,” O’Meara said last night.

“As you get older it gets more demanding. When you have a wife and family, it gets hard to play all the tours. Rory is still a young man, he has got the ability to win like he did in Dubai and there is no reason why he shouldn’t come over.

“I think it is the perfect time. He is so mature; he is not the average 20-year-old. Even though he looks like he is 18, he doesn’t look like he is 18 on the golf course – or even 20.”