‘He’s Trying to Help Me’: Rory McIlroy Reveals Unique Bond with Tiger Woods Amid His Dramatic LIV Golf U-Turn
Thirteen years of rubbing shoulders with Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy is still in awe of the 15-time Major champion. “Lucky,” that’s how the Northern Irishman feels knowing his childhood icon up close. The 24-time PGA Tour winner was speaking at the Overlap podcast hosted by Manchester United legend Gary Neville.
In the presence of fellow legend Roy Keane, another of McIlroy’s childhood heroes, and Jamie Carragher, and Ian Wright, the conversation went from soccer to majors and LIV Golf via his special bond with Tiger Woods. Woods and McIlroy aligned in their views about most things golf, from the rollback policy to their stance against LIV Golf. And although McIlroy has softened up on the latter after Rahm’s defection, his respect for the former World No. 1 hasn’t waned a bit.
In case you didn’t know, Rory McIlroy is a huge Red Devils fan who, as a 12-year-old kid, wanted to sign an autograph of Roy Keane, only to be met with a “not today, kid.” 22 years and four majors later, sitting beside the Man U legend made the conversations all the more interesting. Pointing toward Keane, McIlroy said, “People say you don’t wanna meet your heroes,” but knowing Woods was totally different.
In fact, Rory McIlroy feels the veteran golfer considers him a younger brother. “I feel like sometimes he sees me as like a little brother in a way, and he can relate to me, and he’s trying to help me out.” Did he get any tips from the 82-time PGA Tour winner? You bet. “I’ve been over to his house a couple of times, and he’ll show me shots,” said the 34-year-old.
