Rory McIlroy has endured a forgettable 2013 so far and Padraig Harrington believes the Ulsterman's struggles are linked with the way he is perceived publicly.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods: Kindred spirits?
Since he was a teenager, the 24-year-old McIlroy has been labeled "the next Tiger Woods", but Harrington believes his temperament is better compared to four-time major winner Phil Mickelson.
"Rory is compared to Tiger a lot, but maybe he's more like Phil Mickelson: very talented, very streaky," Harrington said.
Looking at McIlroy's record at the major championships, Harrington's comparison seems an accurate one.
Between winning majors at the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship - won by a combined total of 16 shots - he failed to make the top 10 in any of the majors and even missed the cut at the US Open last year.
What sets Woods apart from the rest of the players on the PGA Tour over the last two decades is his ability to finish high in events even when he isn't playing well.
Like Mickelson, McIlroy doesn't seem to have that same tenacious will to win, a characteristic that has been one of Woods' main strengths throughout his career.
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