McIlroy on rivalry with Spieth, Day: ‘I’d enjoy challenge of us all being there on Sunday at Augusta’

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Rory McIlroy addressed his goals for next year in this story by Alex Perry of ESPN and spoke about a budding rivalry with Jordan Spieth and Jason Day. “I’d really enjoy the challenge of us all being there on the Sunday at Augusta, or any tournament for that matter,” he says. “Competition and rivalry is very healthy for all sport, and I'm happy that the world of golf is hoping to see the three of us as a repeat of the three-way rivalry between Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. We’re not quite there yet, but it’ll be a lot of fun and exciting golf if it happens.”

Euorpean Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter had to scramble last week to play enough European Tour events to retain his Ryder Cup eligibility, yet to his credit he insisted that the European Tour not alter its membership rules. “You can't expect the European Tour to roll over and allow all their guys to disappear,” he said in this story by Phil Casey of the of the Press Association. “It really is the one thing that's kept the European Tour together, the Ryder Cup.”

Graeme McDowell did not play a PGA Tour event last season until the Florida swing began “and by then he felt miles behind,” Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press writes in this story on how McDowell intends to avoid a second straight dismal year. So he intends to play the OHL Classic at Mayakoba and the McGladrey Classic next month. “I got off to a slow start and didn't play a lot of golf,” he said. “It's amazing how quickly the confidence goes. This game is about momentum and confidence.”