Tom Watson has been advised by the only winning US captain this century to "find and break Rory McIlroy" at next week's Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and to "go all William Wallace on his ass".
Watson, the current US captain, revealed this week that he has been taking tips from Paul Azinger in the run-up to America's bid to win only their second match in 15 years.
Azinger, the mastermind who brought down Sir Nick Faldo's team at Kentucky in 2008, sees Ryder Cup parallels between McIlroy, who has won two Majors this year, and the Tiger Woods of the early 2000s. He believes the Northern Irishman's current standing in the game offers a "huge opportunity" to Watson.
"Every once in a while you get Ryder Cups when you have to find a player and this year America must find McIlroy," he said.
"If you can find him [in the order] and break him, then you are going to deliver a blow like they used to deliver to us when they beat Tiger. If their show-pony, if their guy who finishes top four every week goes down on the first morning then I think you can wrest the momentum of this match."
McIlroy has indicated that he wants Paul McGinley, the Europe captain, to put him out first and allow him to take everything the Americans want to throw. Azinger doubts that will happen, but has still urged Watson to go "Rory hunting".
"It was so easy to find Tiger because the captains always put Tiger out first and when the Europeans put out their hottest players and Tiger got beaten all the Americans were like: 'Oh no'," Azinger said. "It set the momentum.
"If I'm McGinley I'm putting Rory out fourth both in morning and afternoon on the first day.
"If I'm Watson I'm putting my best pairing out fourth in anticipation of that."
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