Golf’s galacticos Rory McIlroy and and Jordan Spieth drive each other on to rule the World

World No.1 Jordan Spieth, who began the year as he ended the last one with a victory – at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii – and No.3 Rory McIlroy come together as galacticos contesting a golfing clasico.

McIlroy hit the front emphatically in the latter half of 2014, taking the Open Championship and PGA Championship to end the year a hefty four ranking points clear of the field.

In this phase of their evolving rivalry, Ulsterman McIlroy is cast as the chaser, which, despite the modest nature of his commentary, does not sit comfortably in the psyche of a man who likes to pulverise the opposition, and who has spent 95 weeks in the spot presently occupied by Spieth.

Though it must be doubly frustrating for the latter, who can smoke a golf ball in a way that makes even Spieth’s eyes water.

Let me take you back to the Friday of Augusta in 2014, when McIlroy and Spieth (pictured) were paired together in the opening two rounds, to demonstrate McIlroy’s problem.

Spieth was on the fairway 50 yards short of McIlroy’s ball, meaning a long iron approach to an inhospitable green, which he found sure enough.

The doyen of golf photography, Dave Cannon, estimated McIlroy’s ball to be 70 yards longer off the 13th tee than Spieth’s.

In four holes Spieth had taken as many strokes out of McIlroy despite being blitzed off the tee.

Spieth said: “You can be satisfied and think about all the stuff you’ve done or you can look at what these guys who you’ve looked up to your whole life have accomplished more than you have.

Any of the above might inscribe the week with a winning storyline, but it is Spieth and McIlroy, playing alongside Fowler today and tomorrow, on whom the eyes of the world are trained.