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‘Nice guy’ Tiger has inspired American revival – now Mcilroy aims to crush it

RORY MCILROY has vowed to break America’s Tiger Woods-inspired stranglehold of golf’s greatest prizes.

All four Majors and all the biggest team trophies – Ryder, Solheim, Presidents, Walker and Curtis Cups – rest right now in American hands.

Mcilroy believes much of that success has been helped by Woods dropping his ice-cool exterior to form friendships with the younger generation of US Ryder Cup stars during his stint as a vice-captain at Hazeltine. The knock-on effect in the two years since has seen Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and this week’s defending champion Brooks Koepka all pick up Major titles.

But Mcilroy is aiming to end that glory run, starting today at Shinnecock Hills and then again in Paris in September when Europe strive to regain the Ryder Cup.

Mcilroy said: “They’ve had a great run. They hold all the Majors and all the team events, both amateur and professional. Everything, I guess.

“These things go in cycles. It doesn’t seem that long ago that European golf was dominant but right now the Americans are playing well.

“There’s one guy in particular who they try to emulate, and he’s become a friend of theirs.

“I think that’s been a huge part of all this – a lot of these guys have got to know Tiger.

“They’re able to say, ‘We might not be able to achieve everything he has achieved but we can at least try.’

“I think that’s been a huge thing for Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups, and for them as individuals as well.

“There are a lot of strong players out there but I feel good about my game too. I just want to give myself another chance to win another Major. It’s another opportunity to try to do something great this week.”

Mcilroy’s last Major success came in 2014, when he won the Open and US PGA Championships. A good chance to end that drought – and at the same time complete a historic career Grand Slam – slipped through his fingers at the Masters.

Despite going into the final round in the last group, trailing Reed by three shots, Mcilroy never got going and a pedes- trian closing score of 74 left him bitterly disappointed.

But he insists there are no lingering scars and says he feels more relaxed than ever about his Major chances having rediscovered the fun in golf during friendly games with his dad Gerry.

He added: “For maybe five or six years I never played fun golf. It was all to do with getting ready to play tournaments – I didn’t understand people who went out and played a lot.

“But since my dad became a member at Seminole (in Florida) and I was able to go over and play a lot with him, I really started to enjoy fun golf again. I think it puts you in a different frame of mind. You’re relaxed out there, and maybe that bleeds into your mindset whenever you’re in a big championship.

“If I’ve got a shot that I need to execute under pressure here this week, it’s no different to playing that shot when I’m out playing with my dad. The more you can get into that mindset of being relaxed and enjoying it, the better you’re going to play.”