Tiger Woods has revealed that he calls Rory McIlroy 'The Intimidator' and told his son Charlie to emulate the Northern Irishman's golf swing rather than his own. The comments shed light on the complex relationship between the two golfing greats, which has evolved from rivalry to friendship over the years.
McIlroy, 36, is competing this week in the Genesis Invitational, an event organised by Woods’ TGR Foundation. The pair first crossed paths when McIlroy turned professional, by which time Woods had already secured 13 major championships. McIlroy admitted he grew up idolising Woods and once quipped that the American was 'intimidated' by him.
Woods responded by giving McIlroy the nickname 'The Intimidator', but McIlroy quickly clarified it was not his own invention. 'How can I intimidate Tiger Woods? I mean, the guy's got 75 or whatever PGA Tour wins, 14 majors,' McIlroy said at the time. 'Some little 23-year-old from Northern Ireland with a few wins come up and intimidate him? It's just not possible.'
Six years later, Woods used similar reverse psychology against his rivals, stating it was 'their f***ing issue' if they felt intimidated by him. The rivalry eventually gave way to a strong friendship, with Woods reaching out to McIlroy after his heartbreaking US Open defeat in 2024. 'I texted him just to say, as you know, I'm your friend. We've all been there as champions,' Woods said.
Woods’ admiration for McIlroy’s swing was evident when he encouraged his son Charlie to copy it. 'I told [Charlie], “Don't copy my swing. Copy Rory's”,' Woods said. 'Have you ever seen Rory off balance in a shot? Not ever. That’s one of the things my dad instilled in me—you should be able to balance and hold your finish until the ball rolls and stops.'
