Does Tiger Woods Need a Rivalry with Rory McIlroy to Regain Killer Instinct?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: August 17, 2012

commentComment        

Professional golf has been clamoring for a bona fide rival for Tiger Woods since he turned pro in 1996, but up until recently, there wasn't enough competition to make any sense of it.

Sure, there were attempts. Phil Mickelson was an obvious choice. So was Sergio Garcia. And they've had their moments with Tiger. But neither ever really materialized into what anyone could justify as a true rival.

As fans of golf, we like it when they're paired with Tiger because it's fun to watch some of the game's most popular players in the same group, but are these pairings rivalries?

I don't think so.

Enter Rory McIlroy. After McIlroy won the U.S. Open as a 22-year-old last year, comparisons to Tiger Woods at the same age began. And with McIlroy's recent win at the PGA Championship, in vintage Tiger fashion by eight strokes, the noise is now getting louder.

Rory McIlroy vs. Tiger Woods. Is there any merit to a rivalry in the making?

I hope so, because Woods needs a rival, if for no other reason than to give him a kick in the pants. He seems to have lost the killer instinct he once had in the major championships, evidenced by his less-than-stellar play on the weekends of this year's majors.

This is what Tiger had to say following his final round at the PGA Championship last week:

"I came out with probably the wrong attitude yesterday," he said. "And I was too relaxed and tried to enjoy it, and that's not how I play. I play intense and full systems go. That cost me."

I really didn't expect to hear that from Tiger, and yes, I think we should read into it. I think he's struggling with his mental game. It's almost as though he has psyched himself out in the majors.

As the great Bobby Jones once said: “Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course—the space between your ears.”



I don't need to rehash the last coupl...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!