Rory McIlroy insists Tiger Woods can be proud of his achivements should the 14-time Major winner not to return to competitive golf.

Woods indicated on Wednesday ahead of the Presidents Cup that faced the realiy, and due to multiple back surgeries, of ‘not knowing what the future holds’.

McIlroy, who had grown-up idolising Woods, was asked his reaction to Woods remarks following a first round of a three-under par 67 on day one of the British Masters at Close House in Newcastle.

“Only he knows whether he can do it and he’s taking it very slowly,” said McIlroy to reporters.

“I spent a bit of time with him over the past few months and he’s waiting on his doctors to tell him when he can do things again. He’s going to take their advice and not be maybe quite as stubborn as he was maybe back in the day.

“But look, if he doesn’t play again, he’s been the greatest player that I’ve ever seen. He probably played the greatest golf that anyone in my lifetime has seen. I didn’t really see Jack (Nicklaus) play. Jack has a better record but I don’t know if he played better golf.

“If this is it, he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. He can walk away from this game with his head held extremely high and he’s done wonders for this game.

“I don’t think there’s a single figure in golf who did more for the game in terms of bringing different groups of people into the game, different ethnicities, different age groups, made golf cool in the 90s, when it really needed an injection of something.

“So he’s a legend of the game and if this is it, then everyone should just applaud what a great career he’s had.”.

McIlroy will head to Augusta next April looking to achieve what Woods and just four others have achieved and that is to win the coveted Grand Slam.

For McIlroy, it will be his fourth Glam Slam attempt having won the 2015 Open Championship after capturing the 2011 U.S. Open and both the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championshp.