Rory McIlroy least intimidated by the tough pairing at WGC Cadillac Championship
Rory McIlroy might have surged to the top of the world at an early age, but he is now facing a direct threat from the grizzled players just a few points behind him on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
Taking over the strong field at the Honda Classic where a rampaging Tiger Woods shot a 62 and his nemesis Lee Westwood shot a 63, McIlroy managed to land the title, soaring to the top of the rankings for the first time in his career.
His worst fears are about to come back to life as he starts his bid for this week’s WGC Cadillac Championship, paired with none other than world number two Luke Donald and World number three Westwood in the opening round.
The young Northern Irishman insisted that he is least intimidated with the mind-boggling pairing and will play his usual sport pitched amid the giants.
He said, "It depends what type of mind you have and if you thrive in the spotlight or if you welcome it. I feel like I do thrive in the spotlight, and I like the attention. I'd love to keep myself here for a while. But I know that it's inevitable that I'll
lose it at some point. That's for sure. I just hope that it's a little further away”.
The 22-year-old McIlroy admitted that the top ranking matters a lot for any sportsman in the world but that’s not the prime reason of his efforts on course.
McIlroy believes that he is bound to lose the coveted place at some point in the future but what really matters is the fact that he keeps playing top-notch golf and retain the title for as long as he can.
He added, “But that's not what I play golf for. It's not to keep the number one ranking. It's about winning tournaments, and if I win tournaments, the ranking will take care of itself”.
Donald lost the crown after an undisputed reign of 40 weeks which kicked off from his victory at the BMW PGA Championship last year.
He outplayed Westwood in the first Playoff when his approach shot landed a mere few yards from the hole while Westwood stumbled with the water hazard.
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