Rory McIlroy Will Maintain Stranglehold on No. 1 Ranking

Rory McIlroy is the best golfer on the planet, and he will continue to be long after the 2012 WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral. 

There is plenty to be giddy about if you are a golf fan.

There are so many subplots heading into the WGC Cadillac that a full weekend on the couch is demanded. 

We have Luke Donald and his quest to rip the No. 1 title back from the brash young Rory McIlroy.

Phil Mickelson will attempt to prove that he is still the hottest golfer on the planet right now. No golfer can heat up in an instant like Lefty.  

And Tiger Woods, well, there is no bigger story.

The legend has us waiting to see what the next chapter yields after a fourth-round 62 at the Honda Classic. 

However, the one player that intrigues more than any is Rory McIlroy.

The Northern Irishman may only be 22-years old, but it's hard not to extrapolate what he could do in this magnificent sport. 

McIlroy is playing inspired golf at the moment, but it's his maturity that has be confident we are in the midst of a truly special player. 

We have all seen players fold in the wake of a spirited Tiger Woods rise.

On Sunday at the Honda Classic, he was on the prowl and ended with an amazing final score. 

McIlroy never wavered mentally, and ended the day with a one-under-par 69, enough to take the tournament and the No. 1 ranking. 

He commented on fan's notions of a McIlroy/Woods rivalry via ESPN.

"

I think it's more the media that build up the rivalries more than anything else. To be honest, in golf, you can have a rivalry if you want, but at the end of the day your biggest rival is the golf course. You've got to beat that. … If people want to say there's a rivalry, then so be it. But I don't see myself as anyone's rival out there. I just see myself as Rory McIlroy. 

"

The young man is playing the course and trying to conquer his own demons, just like any truly great golfer. 

He will one day relinquish the No. 1 ranking, but it won't be anytime soon.

It will be an amazing time seeing how long he can hold onto it. 

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