The new Tiger Woods? Introducing Rory McIlroy

This isn’t an expression that I like using as nobody will ever replicate the impact Tiger Woods made on golf. Nevertheless, there is a 19-year-old Northern Irish golfer who has been branded as the ‘new Tiger Woods’ after securing his first European tour title.

Rory Mcllroy won the Dubai Desert Classic and because he achieved the feat at such a young age, comparisons are being made with him and the current World No.1 who turned professional at 20 and secured his first major by the age of 21.

All of this attention, hype and expectation could be too much for a lot of teenagers to take. The pressure on Mcllroy to deliver the goods in the coming years is very significant and there is no doubt that the spotlight will be on him ahead of every tournament he enters.

So, how is the youngster coping with his new found fame? Well, if his comments are to be believed – very well indeed. Mcllroy says that if he is being compared with Woods at this stage, then he ‘must be doing something right’. He then admitted that it is better for people to be asking these questions that not asking them. True enough I suppose!

The next thing that Mcllroy has to keep his feet on the ground about is the wealth the has suddenly achieved. At 19-years-old, he is already a millionaire, but he insists that his motivations to succeed in the sport are by no means financial.

The Northern Irishman says that he has not ‘splashed out on anything’ as yet and that he ‘doesn’t think about the wealth’ at this stage. The teenager is certainly saying all the right things isn’t he? He seems to appreciate the position he finds himself in, but isn’t let it get to his head. Good on him.

It may seem a surprise for a lot of people that Mcllroy has burst onto the scene with a European Tour victory, but this doesn’t include the manager of his hometown club – Paul Gray. He says that he could always tell there was ‘something special’ about Mcllroy and that his ‘technique and style’ has always made him look like a professional.

Now he is officially a pro, it remains to be seen what he can achieve. Those who know him best may well place a golf bet on him winning a major in the next couple of years, but for the rest of us it is a case of wait and see. Can he cope with the pressure and live up to the hype?

I’m looking forward to finding out.

By Thomas Rooney – a sports writer for Betfair – check them out for grand national odds