"Doctor's orders."

Tiger is out of the AT&T National but is still going to appear at the event next week, reports Doug Ferguson.

Woods is scheduled to be at Aronimink next week, to sign the "We Salute Our Heroes" tribute wall in which fans can write personal messages to the U.S. military. He has a news conference Tuesday afternoon, and is expected to take part in the military opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ron Sirak contrasts McIlroy with Tiger after last week's U.S. Open.

When it came time for McIlroy to face the media -- never one of Tiger's favorite chores -- that humility was captivating. With the trophy sitting next to him, Rory took out his cell phone and snapped a photo. "I have to tweet it," he said. "I've waited all week to do this." After the Masters, McIlroy tweeted a photo of him smiling next to Charl Schwartzel, who had on the green jacket Rory could have been wearing. It was a gracious gesture.

After taking his trophy shot Sunday, McIlroy turned his camera toward the hundreds of writers in the room and snapped a photo. In nearly 15 years as a pro, nothing close to that spontaneous ever occurred with Woods. Right now, Tiger has 14 majors and Rory has 13 fewer. But McIlroy is also 13 years younger and has connected with the public in a very special way.

Comments

[jb]

McIlroy won me over with a simple "Paddy, Paddy, Paddy."

[Dave Andrews]

Hard not to like McIlroy.

[BrianS]

So a "minor": injury has kept Tiger out for 3 months, including at least 1 major, 1 semi major, and 3 or 4 top shelf tour events that he typically plays, and has essentially resulted in a lost season for Tiger. Why can't he admit its a major injury ? Is that so awful or embarrassing ?

Didn't he used to have a DR that did a good job at fixing him up to go out and play each week ? oh, that's right, he's in federal custody for PED peddling. No wonder things aren't healing up quite so quickly.

[Longy]

Stop building up Rory to some sort of a messiah. He's just a guy that plays good golf.

[d.b.cooper]

Way to say it, Longy.

I'm getting tired of all this Rory worship, too.

It is getting pretty silly.

[HoselRocket]

Agreed, Sirak is famous for going mental over the most trivial missteps by Tiger (as are Shipnuck/Bamberger). Furthermore, it's well chronicled that Tiger has been burned many times over by the media/public, his standoffishness is completely justified and understandable.

Just pray he comes back and saves American golf like he has several times over his career. I also notice they ignore his 4' putt to take the 4th round lead of the Masters 2 months ago (as they write him off as over the hill)

Facts are: Rory 13 majors less than Tiger, essentially its like he didn't even win one compared to Tiger cuz he's so far behind, now all of a sudden he's as great as TW?

What about Oosthuizen? Schwartzel? Kaymer? Why is the media ignoring other swashbuckling 20 year olds that are fixtures in the top 10 of recent majors?

my eyes glaze over....grab my 7 iron and put me outta my misery...please?

[Boyer]

Five majors represents Seve's entire career, or Ernie Els and Greg Norman combined. No way was Tiger a shoe in to beat Jack's record. Throw in the injuries and now Rory, who looks like he could win eight or nine majors, and one begins to wonder where exactly Woods' victories and going to come from.

[AK47]

Kind of pathetic when writers need to be liked by those they write about or they write negatively. Tiger won 28 of his first 100 tournaments as a pro, Rory's played more than 100 and won 3. I like the kid a lot but a Tiger he is not.

[Hawkeye]

No, he's not Tiger, and he won't ever be. If he can keep his newfound putting touch, though, he could well be a Tom Watson, hopefully with a few more years in his tank. In other words, maybe the best European ever. So what's not to get excited about?

[thusgone]

why can't he just be who he is?

[chico]

I'm with longy really.
He is a breath of fresh air and has enormous potential.But lets see how the next 5 years pan out before getting too excited about career records.
The press-and the British press in particular-have an unpleasant habit of building somebody up to ridiculous heights and then shooting them down again if they don't acheive world domination!
Time to calm down a bit and let his clubs do the talking.

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

"maybe the best European ever"

Hawkeye ... don't let Sir Nick hear you say that!

I think McIlroy will be cringing as much as everyone else.

[Psycho]

Isn't it something to admire about McIlroy is that his reaction to all the hyperbole ("Paddy, Paddy, Paddy", indeed!) is to be mildly embarrassed by it and to understand that that (hyperbole) is just what it is?

[Hawkeye]

Aw, come on, lads and lassies, speculation and lofty expectations is FUN!!! Haven't you, like me, grown tired and disillusioned of having the golfing world revolve around a 20th century media drone? All of a sudden, there's hope! Sure, he may still turn out to be Paul Way, but let me dream of a bright future for just a little bit longer please!

[rose]

Love the swing, love the attitude need to see more of McIlroy under pressure.
I do not like the fact that McIlroy is being cast as the anti-Tiger. McIlroy grew up worshiping Woods and no matter what the collective wisdom on Woods' personal and personality issues are, he is one of the three or four greatest of all time and he got there through hard work. Hopefully McIlroy will emulate that characteristic of Woods and not fall prey to Darren Clarke disease.

[KCMG]

What disease is that? Being a widower? or winning two WGCs?

[Dan]

I think the disease is called "alcoholism."

[chicago pt]

i wonder if Woody's knee hurt more this weekend while watching Rory

[johnnnycz]

No such thing as a minor injury to a 4-times operated on knee....doesn't exist. TW is being his old self.

As for Rory...I'm with Hawkeye....it's nice to see his solid play over the past FOUR majors after x-many years of the same ole same ole. With all the Rory-being-the-next-Tiger hype, I am going to take a philosophical angle on this and say that humans always seem to become captivated/seduced whenever a person starts to fulfill their true potential. We have been hearing about how good Rory is for the past 4 years and now he finally delivered and gave us a great show, the expectations we all harboured inside ourselves all of a sudden goes rushing to the surface...much like it did after a young TW tee'd it up in his first major as a pro...the 1997 Masters.

I personally had the same feeling watching Rory swing with frightening power/precision last weekend as I did watching TW on his march to the green jacket on Augusta's back nine in '97. Awesome performances both indeed...and most importantly, FUN to watch. Only an A$$H0LE would find fault in those performances.

[MIke T.]

Rory is a breath of fresh air with tremendous upside to his career based on his recent performance in the majors. But golf careers are more marathons than sprints. Let's see how he does for the next 5–7 years.

Tiger is never gonna be Mr. Congeniality. And he's still the best golfer of his generation. If Rory comes close to equaling Tiger's records for major wins and total wins, that'll be amazing.

[chico]

@Dan-Clarke likes to party a bit but an alcoholic??!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sgolfer]

Rory is also 14 porn stars behind Woods. I don't see him ever closing the gap. McIlroy is done. Stick a fork in him.

[Kelpie]

I think the medicos have renamed it Clarke-Westwood Disease

Best European Ever? I'm still not sure if Rory's more Tiger or Sergio.

[rose]

Its no secret that as between Harrington Clarke and McGinley, Clarke was the chalk. In fact no one ever thought Harrington was in his league the talent level was so different. Harrington worked incredibly hard and won three majors. Who knows what might have been for Clarke had he had the same desire as Harrington.

[Hawkeye]

Very well said, johnnycz. You're spot on in that second paragraph, and that's the reason why the reaction to Rory's win is different than it was to Oosthuizen's, Kaymer's or Schwartzel's.

[rmppia]

Rory is just Rory, Eldrick is Tiger, and Jack is Jack. Their careers will speak for them when they are all through. Speculation today is just that. The amazing thing is how Woods and his people keep playing the press like a violin. As long as he or his people put out some little comment at the right time the press makes him the story, not what is really going on in the world of golf.

[James H.]

I personally had the same feeling watching Rory swing with frightening power/precision last weekend as I did watching TW on his march to the green jacket on Augusta's back nine in '97.
............................................................................................

Reminded me more of Greg Norman at TPC in 94

Dominated a field by 6, obliterated a previously difficult golf course resulting in blame of the course, 1 bogey, 49 of 56 fairways....

[Dan]

@chico-For the record, I'm a big Darren Clarke fan. But any professional golfer, who feels the need to announce publicly that he has quit drinking for the good of his game, as Clarke did in January 2009, is an alcoholic.

[chico]

Dan-I am unfortunate enough to know quite a bit about alcoholism(not my own)
I also know Clarke and believe me he was/is not alcoholic.
Drinking more than a pro sportsman should perhaps.
Alcoholism is a terrible disease which ruins lives and families and it isn't a word that should be bandied about lightly.

[Dan]

No offense intended, chico. I didn't think my comment was provocative. The perception created by the media is that Clarke drinks a lot and often, which suggests that he is an alcoholic, regardless of whether he appears to be relatively happy, healthy, and successful. That said, I don't know the man, and the media could be creating a false impression of him. You claim to know him personally and opine that he is not an alcoholic, so I will take your word for it. And I'm glad to hear it because, as I said, he is one of my favorite golfers, a true sportsman.