Rory McIlroy knows he will be the man with a target on his back at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles next week… and he can’t wait.
The world No 1 was responding to American captain Tom Watson’s comment that he wants his team to ‘take down the top dogs,’ a reference to McIlroy and Ian Poulter.
‘It’s a massive compliment whenever the opposition are talking about you,’ McIlroy told Sportsmail. ‘I know what a huge fillip it would be for them if I lose but it is up to me to make sure it doesn’t happen. I’m a double major champion this year and it’s important that I embrace that and step up and take on the responsibility. I know I will have a target on my back but I love that and I am going to play up to it as much as I can.
‘Whoever they want to send out against me, it’s no problem to me. I want to lead from the front and by example, and I’m confident enough in the way I am playing right now to do that.’
Game on, then.
McIlroy addressed a number of pertinent topics during a sponsorship day for Santander against the fabulous backdrop of Tower Bridge yesterday.
He laid to rest any lingering questions regarding his formidable Ryder Cup partnership with Graeme McDowell and hinted at a possible fourballs pairing with French rookie Victor Dubuisson.
The 25-year-old also gave his first public comments regarding the actions of the judge who intervened this week in McIlroy’s increasingly bitter legal dispute with his former management company and ordered the two sides to get together to try to thrash out their differences.
‘We welcome what the judge had to say,’ said McIlroy. ‘It’s what we have been trying to do for the last six months but it’s been like arguing with a brick wall, so it’s great he has ordered the two sides to get together.
‘It needs resolving, because it has gone on for far too long. It’s the one distracting thing I have left behind the scenes although, thankfully, I’ve made sure it’s not been that distracting. But when that’s gone, that’s everything.’
McIlroy’s old management company Horizon also looked after McDowell — that contract has also just ended, albeit amicably — and the latter confessed the dispute had placed a strain on his friendship with the former. But McIlroy dismissed any notion it was long-lasting or should give Europe captain Paul McGinley any cause for second thoughts about pairing them once more next week.
‘I’d love to play with G-Mac,’ said McIlroy. ‘Everyone can see the chemistry we have together and there’s no reason why it can’t be the same this time. This whole thing about our friendship has been blown up. We were both playing in Denver two weeks ago and went out to dinner together. There’s no problem between us.’
It’s a partnership we’re more likely to see in foursomes than fourballs, though. As for the latter, there has been some talk on the practice ground that McIlroy is keen on the idea of shepherding a rookie, and there was one particular debutant he was happy to throw into the mix.
‘Of all the guys in our team I guess I know Victor best because we grew up playing amateur golf together,’ said McIlroy, about the gifted but enigmatic Dubuisson. ‘I’m not close to him but I’ve known him a lot longer, so if Paul wants to throw him into the deep end with me, I’d have no qualms about that.’
After eight tournaments in 10 weeks, McIlroy looked remarkably fresh, despite having only a day at home. He returned to Northern Ireland last night, but will fly to London on Saturday for the George Groves fight, before heading to Gleneagles a day before the rest of the team. ‘I’ve got a full day planned with Steve (McGregor, his fitness guru) and Michael (Bannon, his swing coach),’ he said.
Before our chat, McIlroy played a few stunt shots to a target situated in the Thames in front of the curious thousands who lined the embankment in autumn sunshine and, naturally, hit it effortlessly.
Which was more than could be said for London’s game Mayor Boris Johnson. Asked if he gave Boris a lesson, McIlroy smiled. ‘He certainly needs a few!’
The Mayor was sharp enough to say: ‘Never mind me, we need the right swing tonight,’ referring to the Scottish referendum.
As for McIlroy, all Europe will be counting on him making plenty of right swings next week. – Daily Mail