Rory McIlroy tees up for a first time in 2015 on US soil at this week’s Honda Classic and declaring he would be wasting his time if he were not in a position where he is at present.

The World No. 1 is coming off a three-week absence since capturing the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and competing on a PGA National course where he won in 2012 and was runner-up a year ago.

And with 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods absent for an unspecified amount of time, it was put to the four-time Major champion if he was comfortable with the limelight of being golf’s leading light.

Rory McIlroy says he’s in the place where he exactly wants to be in his career. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.

“You know, it would be pretty ‑‑ I would be wasting my time if I was out there practicing as much as I do and putting as much into it if I didn’t want to be in this position, and wasting the people’s time around me, as well, that helped me get to this point.

“Of course I want to be that guy.  I want to be the guy that ‑‑ I said it last year, golf is waiting for someone like that to step forward, put their hand up and win the big tournaments and sort of become ‑‑ I think it’s harder to become as dominant these days with technology and course conditions and the depth of the fields.  Everyone’s got a lot more knowledge and knows a lot more good the game, and everyone just works harder and are more professional at what they do.

“Yeah, this is the position want to be in and I want to be in it as long as I can.”

McIlroy will play the opening two rounds of the $US 6.1m event alongside the American duo of Brooks Koepka, winner of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open, and Dustin Johnson who lost out in a play-off in last week’s Northern Trust Open.