MARANA, Ariz. – If he’s not the next Tiger Woods, he’s at least Europe’s new Tiger Woods. Everything about 19-year-old Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland projects greatness, including his play this week at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
The teenager with a head full of black curls and a face dotted with freckles reached today’s quarterfinals by taking down South African Tim Clark, the man who eliminated Woods on Thursday. McIlroy rolled four birdies to go 4-up after eight holes and cruised to a 4-and-3 victory at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
“He’s going to be a major factor in the golf world,” Ernie Els said of McIlroy, who is playing his first tournament as a pro on U.S. soil. “I think that you’re probably looking at the next No.1 in the world with him. He’s got all the tools.”
It would be one thing if McIlroy was having a hot week in the desert. But his play here only affirms his skill. Ranked 17th in the world, he won the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month and has two seconds, a third and four other top-10 finishes in his last 12 European Tour events.
His play impressed Clark, who was mentally and physically drained after defeating Woods on Thursday.
“I think playing on so much adrenaline (against Woods), it’s tough to come out (yesterday),” Clark said. “I just felt a little bit flat. Rory played really well. He’s obviously a tremendous talent and I was very impressed with his game.”
McIlroy will face 2006 Match Play champion Geoff Ogilvy today as the original 64-player field reaches its final eight. Ogilvy defeated Camilo Villegas, 2 and 1. The other quarterfinal pairings match Ernie Els against Stewart Cink; Sean O’Hair vs. Paul Casey; Ross Fisher against Justin Leonard. The winners advance to the afternoon semifinals. A 36-hole finale will be played tomorrow.
When McIlroy first saw the brackets for the Match Play he hoped he might play Woods, his idol, in yesterday’s round.
“I probably would have found it very difficult to play him with him being a hero of mine for the past 10 years,” McIlroy said. “It would have been difficult, but you’ve got to just go out there and try and play your own game and play your own ball.”
McIlroy does that with power and accuracy. He leads the field in driving distance with an average of 319 yards. He’s also second in reaching the greens in regulation. Granted the ball flies in the hot desert air, but McIlroy hit a 7-iron 215 yards.
“I hear somebody said he was as good as Tiger at that age or has the tools that Tiger had at that age,” Ogilvy said. “He’s getting talked up all around the world of golf.”