Day urges McIlroy to find Tiger within him
Jason Day has challenged Rory McIlroy to fulfil his potential and start to remind everyone again of Tiger Woods.
The Ulsterman made his seasonal bow in the United States this weekend at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am with his Australian rival wondering whether he can relaunch his career and begin to emulate the greatest player of the age.
“I think the biggest thing for Rory is how, like the desire part, how much do you really want it because he has the tools to be kind of Tigeresque,” Day said.
“Tiger is Tiger, but to be in the same sentence as Tiger is pretty unique and special to be able to say that.
“And I think Rory has the ability to go out there and win more majors than he has right now and I’m sure that’s what he wants to do.”
McIlroy is stuck on four majors, having not won one of the big four in the past three campaigns.
Yet the 28-year-old’s first priority is clearly to end his winning drought in regular events.
He came painfully close to breaking his 16-month trophyless run with a third and second in Abu Dhabi and Dubai last month, respectively.
And although he is still hurting from conceding the Desert Classic to China’s Haotong Li when holding a two-shot lead with eight to play, he is determined not let to let it drag him down after his four-month break to recuperate from a rib injury at the end of 2017.
“I had two chances to win tournaments in my Middle East swing and didn’t,” he said. “I should have won Dubai — I let that tournament slip. But they were great building blocks and I don’t dwell on it. I’m using them as two great confidence builders. I’m playing six of the next seven weeks over here and I hope I’m in the last couple of groups a couple of times before [The Masters at] Augusta.”
As well as Day, who won last week in Phoenix, McIlroy faces a huge challenge in California with the world’s top three of Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth all teeing up.
Rahm will usurp Johnson as No 1, if he wins and Johnson fails to finish in the top 45.