Rory McIlroy: Biggest Keys to Victory for Golf's Hottest Young Star

Tiger Woods is golf's biggest star, but he isn't its brightest young star. That distinction belongs to 22-year-old Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy is one of a handful of golfers that are aiming to stop the Tiger train before it regains its form from three or four years ago.

McIlroy has the game to make this a memorable duel with Tiger, but there are three keys to contending and possibly defeating a hot Tiger Woods.

This Isn't Match Play

It's easy to see how any golfer could get caught checking for Tiger's progress during the day. He is the barometer by which most golfers measure themselves. That said, there is an entire field and more importantly, an entire course to conquer.

If he makes this about defeating Tiger, he'll derail his own chances at winning.

Five Alive

There are four par-five holes at Augusta National, and McIlroy needs to dominate on those holes. So far this year, he hasn't been as solid as he'll need to be on these holes.

His -20 on par fives is only 149th on the tour.

Long hitters like Tiger will feast on the long holes generally, and McIlroy must do damage here as well.

If he doesn't excel here, he'll place tons of pressure on himself to hit precision shots on the rest of the holes.

Keep His Composure

We all know about McIlroy's collapse at Augusta last year. It began on the 10th hole, and spiraled downward from there. He had a four-shot lead that evaporated, and Rory had a Greg Norman moment.

If he is to truly rebound and capture the Green Jacket, McIlroy will need to fight through those demons and play that 10th hole solidly.

What happens on that hole, on day one, could tell the story of how well McIlroy will compete this year.