When Rory McIlroy Made Daring Statements About an ‘Ordinary’ Tiger Woods: ‘He’s Simply Playing Badly…’

Rivalries often assist in getting the best out of two players. However, some of these rivalries often step out of the golf course and take to the public platform. An apt example of it is golfing sensation Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. The two have been prominent names in the sport of golf. However, taking their professional rivalry out of the golf course, Rory once made some controversial remarks about Woods.

Walking down memory lane, the year 2010 was probably the most awful year for Tiger Woods. His divorce from Elin Nordegren severely impacted his performance in the couple of years that followed. While a major section of the society sympathized with the former World No. 1, another section questioned his downgrading form. Being a part of the latter, McIlroy gave his opinion on Woods, calling him an ‘ordinary player’.

Rory McIlroy comments on Tiger Wood’s form

Woods and McIlroy enjoy a professional rivalry between them. However, digging into the life of McIlroy, he was born in 1989. That is, seven years before Tiger Woods turned pro. By the time the Irish star turned pro in 2007, Woods had already won 13 of his total 15 major titles.

Recalling the time, McIlroy started by asserting, “When Tiger had that aura I wasn’t playing against him – I was watching on TV.”

Read More – How a 9-Year-Old Rory McIlroy Sent a Letter of Warning to Peak Tiger Woods

With numerous records and titles to his name, the American sensation has successfully managed to create a majestic aura for himself; something, that is clearly visible while meeting him for the first time. Similar was the case with McIlroy.

“I remember getting nervous when I first met him. I was 15. There was a presence about him,” McIlroy said. “There still is to some extent but when you’re on the course you simply block it out.”

While McIlroy acknowledged Woods’s aura, it didn’t pull him back from criticizing the 11-time PGA Player of the year as well as PGA Tour Player of the Year. Going further in the conversation, the now 33-year-old said, “Tiger is not playing as well as he was even a couple of years ago, never mind going back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he was at his best.”

“It’s not that he’s playing badly. He’s simply playing badly by Tiger’s standards. He’s playing like an ordinary golfer.”

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Looking at the statistics, Woods has been the dominant one between the two ever since the start. Woods has a total of 82 wins on the PGA Tour along with 41 wins on the European Tour. On the other hand, McIlroy takes the backseat with 22 wins on the PGA Tour and 14 on the European Tour.

Keeping the stats in mind, what is your opinion on McIlroy’s comments on Woods? Do let us know in the comments below.