Dubai: Rory McIlroy says he still dreams of going head-to-head with Tiger Woods in a Major, despite his golfing hero’s recent struggle with injury.
Woods, aged 40, has been named as a non-playing vice-captain for this September’s American Ryder Cup squad. The 14-time Major winner has said he has “nothing left to look forward to” in golf as he continues to battle against a re-occurring back issue.
In an off the cuff discussion about British tennis player Andy Murray earlier this week – who lost the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic - McIlroy said he felt sorry for the Scot because he had come up against perhaps the toughest era in tennis alongside Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
But asked if the Northern Irishman himself felt fortunate to have dodged Woods in his prime, the four-time Major winner insisted: “I would have liked to. I feel competition brings out the best of me.
“And I think Phil [Mickelson] has even said; that maybe if Phil didn’t go up against Tiger he would have won more Majors, but he always said that Tiger brought out the best in him.
“I would have loved to – I would still [like to meet Tiger in his prime] – hopefully he can get healthy, I would still love a crack at him down the stretch in a Major, I would love that, just once. At this point it’s just up to him to get healthy and get his game back, and for me hopefully to keep playing the way I am, and maybe one day...”
