Tiger Woods gave Rory McIlroy the nickname ‘The Intimidator’ and told son Charlie to copy the Irish golfer’s swing instead of his own, revealing their strong friendship
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
07:04 ET, 21 Feb 2026
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods share a convoluted relationship(Image: Megan Briggs/TGL, TGL Golf via Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods share an intricate bond dating back to when the Northern Irishman made his debut on the PGA Tour. The 36 year old is participating in this week’s Genesis Invitational, an event organized by Woods’ TGR Foundation, amid rumors that the American legend might hand out the trophy.
When McIlroy turned pro, Woods had already amassed 13 major championship titles – having completed the career Grand Slam. The 36 year old had secured the US Open before launching another major campaign in 2012.
After winning the PGA Championship that season, McIlroy admitted he’d spent his youth idolizing the American superstar and dreamed of becoming his rival. He even joked that Woods felt ‘intimidated’ by his presence.
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McIlroy said: “He’s (Tiger’s) got a new nickname for me, actually. He calls me The Intimidator.”
He swiftly made clear the moniker wasn’t his own creation, adding: “No. How can I intimidate Tiger Woods? I mean, the guy’s got 75 or whatever PGA Tour wins, 14 majors.”, reports the Mirror.
“He’s been the biggest thing ever in our sport. How could some little 23-year-old from Northern Ireland with a few wins come up and intimidate him. It’s just not possible. I don’t know where he got that from, but it’s not true.”
It appears that Woods was merely trying to rattle his opponent with a bit of reverse psychology at the time. Fast forward six years, and the American golfer was taunting his competitors by stating it was “their f—— issue” if they were affected by his presence on the fairways.
In a 2018 video, he can be heard saying: “I can’t control you. The only thing I can control is me. If you get intimidated, that’s your own f—ing issue.”
The pair have a strong bond to this day(Image: Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images for The Match)
Over time, the rivalry between Woods and McIlroy seems to have blossomed into a strong friendship marked by healthy competition. After McIlroy’s loss at the 2024 US Open, Woods, now 50, revealed that he reached out to offer his support.
Woods shared: “[I texted him] just basically, as you know, I’m your friend. I know this is a difficult moment. We’ve all been there as champions. We all lose. Unfortunately, it just happened and the raw emotion of it, it’s still there and it’s going to be there for, I’m sure, some time.
“”The faster he’s able to get back on a horse and get back into contention, like he did last week [in the Scottish Open], the better it is for him.”
Speaking highly of McIlroy, Woods added: “He’s got such a wonderful talent and he’s a good kid too. He’s got a lot of things going for him.”
Such is Woods’ respect for McIlroy that he even advised his son Charlie to model his golf swing after the Masters champion, rather than his own. Despite his remarkable record as a 15-time major champion, the American revealed he would rather his amateur golfer son take lessons from the 36 year old. He stated: “I told [Charlie], ‘Don’t copy my swing. Copy Rory’s’. “Woods continued: “Have you ever seen Rory off balance in a shot? Not ever.
“That’s one of the things my dad instilled in me, is that you should be able to balance and hold your finish until the ball rolls and stops. You can swing as hard as you want, but you need to have balance.”