Tiger expects Rory to relish Medinah heat

Tiger Woods has been here before, and knows exactly how it will feel for Rory McIlroy when he plays this weekend’s Ryder Cup with a target on his back.

The former world number one believes it is a situation his successor at the top of the rankings should relish rather than fear.

McIlroy’s rise to greatness, with a second major coming a month ago in the PGA Championship, has seen him cement his status as the best golfer on the planet right now, and prompted suggestions from the likes of Jim Furyk and 2008 Ryder Cup-winning captain Paul Azinger that they think the 23-year-old will be a marked man at Medinah.

As a player whose 14 majors turned him into a target for a succession of Europeans over the years, Woods won’t dispute that.

“It’s part of being consistent. It’s part of being ranked number one. It’s part of winning major championships,” Woods said. “You’re always going to want to try and take out their best player, and that’s just part of the deal. That’s a fun challenge.

“I certainly have relished it over the years and I’m sure he’s going to relish it this week.”

Woods, now back to world number two after three PGA Tour victories this year, has forged something of a bromance with McIlroy in this golfing summer of love, paired as often as they have been this year, for eight rounds including five times during the FedEx Cup play-off series. Yet Woods is severing relations at Medinah. “I’m not going to say anything; he’s playing for the other team. We can talk about it afterwards.”

Like every American on Davis Love’s team, Woods has a losing record, his being 13 wins, 14 losses and two halves, while in six appearances for USA he has experienced victory just once, Brookline in 1999. Woods takes his shortcomings on the chin. “I am responsible for that, because I didn’t earn the points I was put out there for,” he said. “Hopefully I can do that this week.”