McIlroy Runaway at Open Could Be Just What the Tiger Ordered

As I watched Rory McIlroy slice apart Congressional Country Club like his own personal frog, I began to think that maybe, somewhere in Central Florida, there was a man who may have felt a motivation he has not felt in many years.

From 1997, when Eldrick "Tiger" Woods did the unthinkable by treating Augusta National like his own personal miniature golf course, we all have been thinking about the battles that we would all witness for the next 20 years on the PGA Tour.

Those battles, with the exception of one or two, have not come to pass.

Now, with a 35-year legend on the rack, and all those in the know counting him out, or at least on the outside looking in, many are ready to pass the torch. As a certain college football analyst would say, "not so fast my friend."

Tiger Woods may not be ready to dominate like he did in the 2000s, but he is not ready to sail off into the sunset like many also-ran one-time major winners have done. He is Tiger Woods.

It cannot, and will not, end here.

He sees a young gun that we all thought would emerge long ago, just like Ernie Els, Phil, Monty, or Westwood. None of them have emerged.

Now there is the kid from Northern Ireland that has embarrassed a U.S.Open layout (sort of) and become synonymous with greatness. He is taking apart Congressional like teenagers take apart unpopular peers. It's surgical precision at its best.

But, Tiger is only 35, and after years of being told that his equals are right in front of him, he has finally seen that the only guy that can match him at is best is a post-pubescent, snot-nose with a swing that that is as sweet as Swiss Chocolate.

He may be thinking to himself that he has four or five years to show this youngster who is boss; this could be his calling card. He can can hit with the strapping lad, he can putt with him, and he is mentally stronger that Rory. But the question is: Can he match his consistent shot making?

There is no doubt that Tiger is thinking that he would like a back nine "Mano a Mano" with the phenom at a major championship. I think we would all enjoy such a venture. It will motivate the hero-villain that we all have come to know and love (or hate).

Unless you are over 60, he is the standard by which you measure all golfers. It will be interesting to see if a Tiger/Rory final round of a major will ever develop, but rest assured, the old, fading greats always hold their own.

Okay, maybe not, but Tiger will, and he will do so with the shot-making confidence that we have come to know.