Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus says Rory McIlroy emergence as a rival to Tiger Woods will help sharpen the claws of the 14-time Major winning Woods.

Twice this year McIlroy and Woods went head-to-head with the results one win a piece.

Rory McIlroy’s rivalry can only help sharpen Tiger Woods’ claws says Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)

Nicklaus thrived throughout his 18-Major Championship winning career fiercely fighting the likes of Arnold Palmer and Gary Player

And Nicklaus now believes McIlroy’s emergence as a serious threat to Woods can help drive his Star Spangled rival to maybe break the Golden Bear’s Majors winning haul.

“I think it’ll help Tiger,” said Nicklaus when asked ahead of the Father and Son Challenge.

“When you really don’t have a pushing competitor, let’s say, or a force that’s pushing you I mean, his force pushing him has always been my record. That’s still there.

“But I think it may get stale during a period of time, and then all of a sudden you need to maybe somebody else gives you a kick and boost to go.

“Tiger certainly hasn’t lost his talent. Certainly hasn’t lost his desire. But he’s got a few more guys out there now that can finish coming down the stretch than he had five, six years ago.”

Nicklaus is teaming with son, Gary in the PNC Father/Son Challenge at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.

And the 72-year old Nicklaus revealed he’s lost none of his competitive spirit.

“Well when your son is with you, you better be competitive,” said Nicklaus.

“And when the son is with his father, he better be competitive because both are trying to show the other one that he can play and so you’ve got a competition between the father and the son to try to make sure the father and son do well. That’s a good healthy thing to have, and I think it’s probably from a player’s standpoint, father’s standpoint and son standpoint, that’s something that we really look forward to and the tournament gets the benefit of it.”

After a four-year break due to the lack of a title sponsor, the tournament returns with a strong field of competitors headlined by Nicklaus and Palmer playing for a $US 1m purse.

Today marks the third time Nicklaus and Palmer, 83, have been paired together in a golf tournament this year despite Nicklaus’ claims that he doesn’t golf much anymore.

The two, who composed one of the greatest rivalries in golf history, previously played together at Augusta National where they hit ceremonial tee-shots along with Gary Player and later teamed up in Houston to play in an exhibition round at The Woodlands Country Club.

“Arnold proceeded me in about everything. He’s 10 years older than I am. He led the way in many ways in what’s gone on in the game of golf. I think we’re all much better off for having Arnold there. No question about that,” Nicklaus said.

“We’ve always been pretty darn good friends. I think we started traveling together my first year on the tour and did a lot of exhibitions together, and our wives are good friends. I think there are a lot of things that we’ve done together. He’s been a good role model for me.”