‘Rivalry at top? That’s disrespectful to everyone else’

CHIBA, Japan: Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that talk of a rivalry at the top of golf between him and world number one Brooks Koepka would be “disrespectful to all the other great players”.“I would never want to make it just about two players,” McIlroy told reporters.“I think that’s a little disrespectful of all the other players that are trying to play well and trying to win tournaments.”World number one Koepka made worldwide headlines at the CJ Cup in South Korea last week after taking a swipe at the notion of a burgeoning rivalry with second-ranked McIlroy.The American told AFP in an exclusive interview: “I’ve been out here for, what, five years. Rory hasn’t won a major since I’ve been on the PGA Tour. So I just don’t view it as a rivalry.”McIlroy initially responded on TV during Monday’s exhibition match at Narashino Country Club, venue for this week’s Zozo Championship in Japan.“What Brooks said wasn’t wrong,” he said, adding, “I don’t think he had to remind me I hadn’t won one (a major) in a while, but you know.”Two days later the Northern Irishman was more thoughtful before he spoke.“You look at what Justin Thomas has done over the last few weeks, you look at all the great players that are involved in golf and I think to make it just about two people is, you know, not the right thing to do or the right thing to say,” he said.

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