Some observers have been beating up a new world rivalry between 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods and one-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy.
The real rivalry, and the competition for support among a new breed of younger golf fans has to be much McIlroy and Rickie Fowler.
Both enjoyed outstanding amateur careers and both were ranked No. 1 amateur in the world.
Fowler turned 23 last December and McIlroy earlier this month.
The pair first seriously crossed swords in the 2007 Walker Cup and on McIlroy’s home patch at Royal County Down.
First blood went to Fowler with the USA humbling a seemingly more fancied GB & I side.
Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy - Let the rivalry begin.
In turning pro, McIlroy very much seized the initiative winning both on the European Tour (2009) and PGA Tour (2010) and well before Fowler’s first-ever PGA Tour top-10 in October 2010.
Their long awaited squaring off in pro team competition took place at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
McIlroy never faced Fowler front on but McIlroy’s baptism of fire in the Ryder Cup was a joyful occasion with Europe regaining the gleaming gold trophy.
Eight months later and riding a wave of enthusiasm McIlroy reached the pinnacle of the game in capturing last year’s U.S. Open championship and with Fowler missing the Congressional cut.
For the curly haired Northern Irishman it was only his sixth Major Championship and strangely also Fowler’s sixth Major’s appearance.
The all-orange coloured Fowler got one back on McIlroy last October relegating Mcilroy an also ran in running away with the Kolon Korean Open. It was Fowler’s first success in the pro ranks and just on a year after turning pro.
A fortnight later, McIlroy went 4 – 1 against Fowler in capturing the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.
He then added a third European Tour a handful of weeks later in finally seizing success in the UBS Hong Kong Open to make it 5 – 1 in the Northern Irishman’s favour.
McIlroy then climbed to the top of the World Rankings in the first week of March this year in driving away with the Honda Classic title.
At the end of competition McIlroy was the new World No. 1 and Fowler 36th.
Fowler made it 5 – 2 in capturing last week’s Well Fargo Championship and handing McIlroy yet another second place finish.
“Rory and myself have always had a great camaraderie, been good buddies,” said Fowler.
“I definitely respect him as a player, and I feel like he respects me, as well. Or at least I hope so.
“But I’ve had a lot of fun playing against him. We first played against each other at the Walker Cup in ’07, and I look forward to playing against him and hopefully having plenty more tournaments like this where we’re battling back and forth and there’s going to be times where he’s going to come out on top and times where I come out on top.
“I look forward to possibly doing that for a long time.”
So if you’re looking for a new rivalry in world golf it’s there staring you in the face!
