Quail Hollow, NC …

Jordan Spieth admits he has one fear in a quest to become the youngest Grand Slam champion .. Rory McIlroy.

In his very first Major Championship since capturing The Open the 24-year old Texan has the opportunity to join just five other golfers in winning all four Majors.

Not since Tiger Woods in 2000 has anyone joined the most exclusive club in all of golf.

After his brilliant Royal Birkdale triumph Spieth joined Phil Mickelson and McIlroy as the only “active“ players with the chance of winning a Grand Slam, and with Mickelson still needing to win a U.S. Open and McIlroy heading to Augusta National next year in what will be “Take Four“ in his goal to win the Masters.

Jordan Spieth admits he has one fear in a quest to become the youngest Grand Slam champion .. Rory McIlroy.

But then if there is one rival Spieth fears it is McIlroy, a player with an unmatched Quail Hollow record among those competing this week having contested seven Wells Fargo Championships, winning two, runner-up in another and enjoying three other top- 10s.

“Rory is a guy who is very difficult if you come into a one-on-one type situation no matter where it is, and especially in majors, because he doesn’t — he’s not afraid to hit the shot“, said Spieth.

“I mean, he plays so aggressively, and that’s what you have to do to win. You’re going to lose some tournaments because of it, but you’re going to win a lot more than playing any other way. Rory’s proven that.

“He won this tournament by eight shots and that doesn’t come from playing too safe. Even when he had the lead, he kept his foot on the gas pedal. He’s done that for dozens of worldwide victories.

“Rory has four major championships and is one of the top couple most accomplished players in this field, so he is one to fear in that position because of what he’s capable of doing and how he’s going to do it“.

But after the euphoria of his Open win, and while admitting there will be pressure, Spieth is remarkably laid back ahead of the year’s final Major Championship in suburban Charlotte.

“My greatest opponent this week is not the course or the weight of expectation but the players, and beating one of the top-couple best fields in golf “,  he said.

“The golf course is extremely challenging. I don’t think it puts me at a significant disadvantage or disadvantage in any way for me to say that it’s the golf course.

“But the biggest challenge in winning is going to be the incredible talent that’s out there this week.

“Expectations, I really don’t feel any. This whole, this is a chance to complete the career Grand Slam; I’m here, so I’m going to go ahead and try. But I believe I’m going to have plenty of chances, and I’m young enough to believe in my abilities that it will happen at some point.

“Do I have to be the youngest? No, I don’t feel that kind of pressure.

“Would it be really cool? Absolutely.

“And I don’t come to a tournament unless I plan on giving it my all in preparation to have a chance and to ultimately close a tournament out.

“Expectations, I wouldn’t even really put it on the radar so there will be pressure as this is a major championship and this is one of the four pivotal weeks of the year that we focus on.

“And the more years you go on playing PGAs, and if I don’t win one in the next ten years, then maybe there’s added pressure then, and hopefully we don’t have to have this conversation in ten years.

“I’m so happy about that that I can’t add pressure to this week. I’m free-rolling. And it feels good. “