Rory got one he really wanted

Rory McIlroy insists he will not become obsessed by his quest to become world number one.

The Ulsterman missed a big chance to take over from Luke Donald at the top of the rankings when he lost 2&1 to Hunter Mahan in the WGC-Accenture Match Play final in Tucson on Sunday night.

It almost mattered more to the US Open champion that he crushed Lee Westwood 3&1 in the semi-finals to set up a shot at the top prize.

And he couldn’t resist reminding the Englishman that he already has a Major title and that his rise to the summit is “inevitable”.

McIlroy said: “I’m not going to get caught up worrying about it. It would be lovely to be number one but I’d much rather be talking about not having a number one spot than someone coming in saying, ‘when are you going to win your first Major, when are you going to win your first Major.... So at least I don’t get asked that question. If you play good golf it [the top ranking] will come, whereas a Major is a little more difficult. They are both hard to do [but] I’ve got one Major.”

McIlroy has two events to play before the Masters and reckons he could still get to Augusta as the game’s top ranked player.

He said: “I’ve got two events coming up, the Honda and Doral, and I want to keep putting good results up on the board and try get a few wins.

“If I can do that then ultimately getting to the top of the world rankings is, hopefully, inevitable, if I keep playing golf the way I am at the minute.

“For the time being, I think I can just put it out of my head somewhat and just try and focus on winning golf tournaments.”

McIlroy confessed that he ran out of steam against Mahan after putting his all into beating arch rival Westwood in a dawn shootout in the desert. It’s a scalp he badly wanted after losing the European number one crown to his rival in a Dubai World Championship showdown for the 2009 Race to Dubai.

McIlroy explained: “No disrespect to the other two guys in the other semi-final, but it was almost my final in a way.

“That was the one I wanted all week and I got. And that’s what I got myself up for.”

The Holywood ace, 22, came back from three down after four, blasting seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch to cruise to a comfortable win over his former stablemate. But he couldn’t raise his game again against a brilliant Mahan until it was too late.

He said: “Maybe mentally and emotionally it did take a bit out of me. But it still doesn’t take away from the fact that Hunter played very, very solid golf. Even though I threw a few birdies and an eagle at him in the back nine, he still responded well and held on.

“During the course of the week he had played the best golf and deserved to win. But maybe that match this morning did take a little bit out of me.”

Since Westwood “bullied” McIlroy to win the 2009 Race to Dubai, the Englishman has endured disappointment in the Majors while McIlroy went on to break his duck at Congressional last year.

And by beating his Ryder Cup teammate with an epic comeback performance, McIlroy reckons he could have a mental edge if they clash with a Major on the line this year.

“It could do,” he said. “I think it’s just because I knew I needed to play really well to beat him. I knew I needed my best golf out there this morning to get through. I hope myself and Lee have a lot of battles in the next few years. I think it would be great.”