Ryder Cup 2012: Rory McIlroy will be a marked man, says Jim Furyk I would gather that in any sports team when you're 23 and the hotshot you probably need to possess leadership qualities. Even at a tournament such as this, with so much money and kudos riding on the result, it is impossible not to think forward seven days. It is just as difficult not envisage a showdown between Woods and McIlroy. "Tiger is still Tiger and everyone would love to see that pairing in the Ryder Cup," Furyk said. For now, golf must be, and certainly is, content to have the top two players in the FedEx Cup going out together in tomorrow's first round. This will be the third time in four tournaments in which Mcilroy has been paired with Woods and, during this period, many have sensed a big shift in the dynamic. Of course, there is their burgeoning friendship, but Greg Norman, for one, has seen a more notable change. "What I'm seeing is that Tiger's really intimidated by Rory," Norman said. When have you ever seen him intimidated by another player? Never. I think he knows his time is up and that's normal; these things tend to go in 15-year cycles. Jack [Nicklaus] took it from Arnold [Palmer]. I took it from Jack, Tiger from me, and now it looks like Rory's taking it from Tiger. You've got to beat the guy you're taking over from to feel that you're the top guy, and Rory's starting to do that now. Norman's critique of Woods is damning, especially considering the fact that Woods has won three times this year. Yet the Australian believes the most significant aspect of Woods's season has been his shortfall in the majors. Look at Tiger's putting stroke. It used to be rock solid. Now, it changes from Fridays to Saturdays. And that comes from pushing too hard, wanting to win that major so badly," Norman said. By the time you get to your mid-30s, the repetitive motion of hitting a golf ball leads to all kinds of issues, and if you look at Tiger, you can see that's true. He's got Achilles problems, knee problems; the signs are all there of a decay that's inevitable.