The #2 ranked golfer in the world Rory McIlroy acknowledged that he is “drawn” to Tiger Woods and admits he’s “one of the biggest Tiger fans you will ever come across.”
Woods and McIlroy remain steadfast friends and have shared the spotlight in a number of commercials together. One Nike commercial explored the young Rory practicing all day and night, and in the rain, inspired by the older Tiger who appears intermittently throughout the commercial during some of his most iconic career moments.
Although McIlroy may still be enamored of arguably the greatest golfer to ever play the game, his fiancée Erica has grown a bit tired of their close relationship. According to Sporting News, Woods has a penchant for sending the Irish golfer texts at 4 o’clock in the morning while pushing iron at his home in Florida: “Up lifting. What are you doing?”
“Erica actually got pissed off with it,” says McIlroy. “He was texting me in the middle of the night and I was like, ‘Tiger is in the gym’.”
The 27-year-old McIlroy claims he wouldn’t want to change places with Tiger because of the intense scrutiny directed at the 41-year-old. “I’ve seen what his life is like in Florida. I’ve played golf with him and said: ‘What are you doing tonight? Do you want to come and have dinner with us?’ And he can’t. He just can’t. And for me that’s unfathomable. I could not live like that.
“If someone was to say, ‘You can have 14 majors and 70 wins [Woods has 14 and 79 respectively] but have to deal with that, or nine majors and 40 wins and stay somewhat the same as you are’, I’d take the second option all day.”
Doesn’t look like McIlroy has much to worry about. So far he needs another 66 PGA wins and 10 major championships to catch up to Tiger.