THERE'S a cover of an American golf magazine featuring a 19-year-old European golfer with flowing locks which previews the Masters by asking: "Can this teenager win the Masters?"
The date on the cover of Golf Digest is April 1977, and the individual in question is Seve Ballesteros. The previous summer the Spaniard had finished second behind Johnny Miller at Birkdale and collected his first European Tour title at the Dutch Ope
n.
By way of complicating his preparations for the Masters, though, Seve was doing national service with the Spanish air force and the youngster had to take leave to visit Augusta.
As it turned out, the challenge of winning the season's first major at the first attempt was too much even for Ballesteros. He finished 15 strokes behind Tom Watson. However, in a sign of things to come – there were green jackets waiting for him in 1980 and 1983 – the prodigy took home crystal goblets for making an eagle 3 at the 15th.
Fast forward 32 springs and another American magazine, Sports Illustrated, features Rory McIlroy on the cover and asks the same kind of questions about winning America's favourite tournament. The magazine is already being sold on eBay at an inflated price in the belief it may become a collector's item.
Indeed, the level of hype surrounding the wunderkind from Northern Ireland is so pervasive it prompted a question during his press conference about whether the Augusta rookie thinks he can win the career Grand Slam – all four major titles – at a younger age than Tiger Woods managed at 24.
As with everything else about this impressively mature young man, the Belfast teenager gave an answer which both highlighted the difficulty of winning any golf tournament – he held off some of the game's finest in Dubai – without pulping the ambition of youth.
Informed that Gary Player, making his final appearance at the Masters, had encouraged the next generation of champions to think big and accomplish at a younger age what he pulled off at 29, Jack Nicklaus at 26 and Tiger at 24, McIlroy replied: "Is that a year from now? I don't know, I'd have to play extremely well. But, obviously, it's not out of the realm of possibility. But there are so many great players and the depths of the fields are so strong, it's very difficult to win a PGA Tour event, let alone a major championship."
While Colin Montgomerie, Europe's Ryder Cup captain, spoke wisely when he suggested a top ten finish on McIlroy's Augusta debut would mark a hugely successful week for the young Ulsterman, there's a growing conviction that the teenager will follow in Seve's footsteps and become the world's best player, a view held by the current No1, Tiger Woods.
Although he's a polite lad with his feet on the ground rather than his head in the clouds, the rise and rise of Rory is one of golf's best storylines since Sergio Garcia turned pro ten years ago.
While Tiger's praise gave him "goosebumps", it's clear the Holywood golfer is part of a generation inspired rather than intimidated by the prowess of Woods, just as Tiger took his cue from Nicklaus and kept a list of the great man's major successes he was determined to surpass.
"I think the guys that are playing in Tiger's era maybe thought this guy is almost unbeatable," said McIlroy. "Whereas the likes of myself, Danny Lee (aged 18] and Ryo Ishikawa (17] have seen him on TV. We can relate to him in a way, especially that first Masters. You were thinking to yourself: 'Well, hopefully when I'm that age, I can do something like that.' It was definitely inspirational to see someone come out and make such a great start to their professional career. If I can play well enough this week, I might be able to emulate it."
While a proposed practice session with Woods fell through – apparently because Tiger wanted to avoid the hoopla generated by the new kid on the block – McIlroy would enjoy being paired with the world No1 on Sunday.
"You know what, it would be an occasion that you would relish," McIlroy said. "That's what you've practised so hard for your whole life, to be able to play in the final group of a major with the best player in the world. So it would be a great experience. Obviously he makes players do things that they probably wouldn't do.
"But you've got to go out and play golf and you've got to think if you shoot something in the mid to high 60s, you're going to have a chance and that's all you can do."
Comfortable in any company, the young master of his own destiny and his father, Gerry, were visiting a mall in Palm Beach during the Honda Classic last month when Rory was approached by one of the locals, who recognised the teenager. "Hi, I thought it was you," said the man. "I'm Jack Nicklaus."
And when the game's greatest player returned home, he said to Barbara, his wife: "You won't believe who I met at the mall today…"
