Rory McIlroy is confident he has the game to thrive in the United States as he heads into his professional debut on American soil this week.
The 19-year-old from Northern Ireland shot to number 16 in the Official World Golf Rankings following his maiden professional victory in the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic at the beginning of this month and he takes his first steps Stateside on Wednesday at the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship at the new Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain near Tucson, Arizona.
McIlroy, who faces South Africa's world number 49 Louis Oosthuizen in Wednesday's first round, believes that not only will his extensive matchplay experience as an amateur and Walker Cup player be a great boost to his chances in the desert this week, but also that his type of game can reap rewards in America.
"I think the style of golf over here suits my game," McIlroy said. "I hit it quite high. And I'm able to get the ball to stop pretty quickly. I'm pretty long off the tee.
"I've had two good looks at the golf course now and that's nice. It's interesting. The greens are still pretty tricky.
"It probably takes a little bit of time to get used to. But the course is in great shape and it looks like it's going to be a good week."
The competition format is familiar for McIlroy.
"All the amateur golf I played growing up was matchplay, playing for Ireland in the European Championships and the Home Internationals," he added.
"Most of our amateur events in Britain are matchplay events as well, so it's a format that we have grown up with. And I think that my game suits match play because I make quite a lot of birdies and," he joked, "I'll be able to throw in the odd double bogey here and there.
"It's head to head and it gets the juices flowing. So I'm looking forward to it this week."
Sweden's Henrik Stenson is another of the record 47 European Tour members in action at the Ritz-Carlton this week and he has an envious matchplay record of his own.
The 32-year-old won this event in 2007 when it was played at another Dove Mountain course, The Gallery. Having beaten Australia's Geoff Ogilvy 2&1 in that final he embarked on another good run in 2008 only to run into Tiger Woods in the semi-finals.
That contest, also at The Gallery, went to the last hole with Woods going on to a third victory in the tournament by hammering fellow American Stewart Cink. Yet the Swede has proved his mettle for match play.
"It seems to bring out the best in my game and from myself," said Stenson, who faces 2006 finalist Davis Love III in his opening-round match. "It is fun to come back to a tournament where I have played well in the past and in a format I have done well in so I hope this will be another one in the making."
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