Augusta, GA …

European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn reckons there’s just one who stand up to the might of Dustin Johnson at this week’s Masters – Rory McIlroy.

Bjorn has joined injured Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley as a member of the SKY Sports Augusta commentary team.

It’s the first time the Dane has been back to Augusta since missing the cut in 2015 and a year after his best finish of T8th in 2014, and having proudly made his Masters debut in 1999.

With the European Ryder Cup team is still licking its collective wounds some seven months after their hapless Hazetline showing, the last thing Bjorn wants at a first Major since taking over from Darren Clarke is seeing a Stars and Stripes golfer capturing the first Major of 2017.

That’s what most believe will happen given Johnson’s red-hot form coming to Augusta, and having won his last three events and now looking for a fourth in succession that would hand the 32-year old a second Major.

Thomas Bjorn believes Rory McIlroy can cut Dustin Johnson down to size. (photo – www.europeantour.com

It’s why Bjorn has singled out McIlroy to cut the World No. 1 down to size over the next four days at the “Cathedral in the Pines”.

“Rory is about the only one who can stand up to Dustin the way he has been playing,” said Bjorn.

“Jason Day and Jordan Speith probably come very close but Rory is the only one who can match and even beat him if he gets his game going.

“But then Rory has something in him. He’s just more graceful. It just looks so natural. Dustin is a bit more of a powerhouse.

“A lot of it would come down to the golf course but then Rory with his game should manage this golf course better than DJ and better than he has done.

“This was the Major we all thought Rory was going to win first and it would be The Open where I thought he would struggle with his ball flight.

“So here at Augusta should suit Rory perfectly. He drives the ball so well. People say it’s wide but I don’t think it’s that wide. There are some wide holes but there’s a couple of tee shots out there where you have to be spot on and you have to take advantage of those tee shots.”

Thomas Bjorn and Rory McIlroy at Gleneagles during the 2014 Ryder Cup. Photo – www.europeantour.com.

Of the 94 competitors teeing up later today, McIlroy and Johnson are two groups apart with the Ulsterman out at 6.41pm Irish, and in the third last group, and Johnson joining double Masters winner, Bubba Watson and reigning PGA champ, Jimmy Walker out at 7.03pm.

And with the trio of Aussie Marc Leishman and the American pair of Bill Haas and Justin Thomas sandwiched in the group between McIlroy and Johnson’s grouping, it is where much of the late afternoon interest will focus.

“If Rory and Dustin get going with their A games then they are going to be very difficult to keep up with,” added Bjorn.

“Around here you just never know though. People come in on great form and they don’t perform. This golf course is so demanding and if you don’t stay level-headed then all of a sudden it brings a lot of other guys into it.

“Then there’s a big group of players that can do well – Henrik, Justin…there’s such a long list of European players that can challenge because they are good enough to do it. It’s just a question of who gets going.”

“But if any players are going to distance themselves then Rory and Dustin could.

“Dustin clearly has the taste for it now and it will be interesting to see where that goes. The quality he has been delivering has been unbelievable.”

And Bjorn, in singling out Harrington for praise pointing out his 2007 Open Championship victory as the catalyst to Majors success for Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and McIlroy, he suggests Willett’s win a year ago could lead to a further period of European triumph.

“That’s why they are all coming good now as it’s a bit like when Padraig won his Majors,” said Bjorn.

“We hadn’t won any for such a long time but all of a sudden he made others think they could win Majors and they just started coming.

“Then with Padraig winning it helped Graeme and Darren win theirs. It became okay to think we could win Major Championships. Before, it was almost like we weren’t allowed to win them.

“I remember showing up at Majors and it was a case of which one of us was going to finish in the top five, not who was going to win. Also there was the Tiger factor – you knew he was going to win a couple a year at least – but it was almost like we weren’t allowed to win them. People didn’t believe we could.

“Danny has had the effect on young players just as Padraig did. They believe they can drive their games on and play with the best.”