Rory McIlroy (EPA)
MEDINAH, Ill. — Rory McIlroy has a message for all those who have called him a marked man heading into the 39th Ryder Cup matches that begin tomorrow at Medinah Country Club. Bring it on.
McIlroy, the No.1 player in the world, didn’t flinch yesterday when asked if he felt he had a bull’s-eye on his back. “I think it’s a huge compliment that people are saying they want to beat me and whatever,” he said. “Whoever wants to take me on, they can take me on.”
It’s about as close to trash talk as it gets before a Ryder Cup, and a clear sign McIlroy isn’t rattled by the notion the Americans have targeted him the way the Europeans targeted Tiger Woods in past Ryder Cups. Beating Woods in any match has always given the Europeans a boost of confidence, and beating McIlroy figures to give the Americans the same jolt of adrenaline given his growing stature in world golf.
McIlroy of Northern Ireland claimed his second major by winning the PGA Championship last month at Kiawah Island and also won two legs of the FedEx Cup playoffs, the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship. While there are plenty of proven veterans on the European team such as Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, McIlroy is the best in the world and will be expected to perform like it. It’s a message his captain, Jose Maria Olazabal, says is understood.
“I haven’t mentioned it to him,” Olazabal said. “But every time I look at his eyes, I think he gets the message.”
This is a twist from recent Ryder Cups when Woods was always the marked man. When Costantino Rocca beat Woods, 4 and 2, in the Sunday singles in 1997 at Valderrama, it inspired the Europeans to victory 14 1⁄2 to 13 1⁄2. In 2002, Woods went 0-2 in his first two matches and Europe went on to win 15 1⁄2 to 12 1⁄2 at The Belfry in England. At the disaster at Oakland Hills in 2004, Woods and Phil Mickelson lost an opening match to Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington and the U.S. was trounced 18 1⁄2 to 9 1⁄2.
You can sense McIlroy understands how heavily the European team will be counting on him this weekend in what figures to be a close competition. Every point will matter and anytime McIlroy is beaten by anyone other than Woods, it will be considered an upset. He’s only 23 years old and this is only his second Ryder Cup, so McIlroy isn’t going to hold any team meetings. But he knows he must perform for his team to win.
“I don’t think my role is a leader in the team room,” he said. “I think it’s more a leader out on the course and trying to lead in that way; try to put points on the board and try to get my point. There’s a lot more guys that have played more Ryder Cups than me and are more experienced in the team room and know when to speak up and have different views on things.”
McIlroy was 1-1-2 at Celtic Manor in 2010 scoring two points in Europe’s 14 1⁄2 – 13 1⁄2 win to regain the Cup. He was carried along by his fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell, who partnered with him for foursomes and fourballs. McIlroy says he is coming in with more confidence this year. Even if he’s matched against Woods, his goal is to win.
“I’m just going to go out and try and win my point. Whether that’s against him or against someone else it really doesn’t matter,” McIlroy said.
george.willis@nypost.com