Golf: McIroy's 'threatening letter' to Tiger

Rory McIlroy has had Tiger Woods in his sights since childhood. Photo / Getty

World No1 Rory McIlroy has been hunting down Tiger Woods since childhood.

Ahead of next week's Masters, where McIlroy will be attempting to complete a career grand slam, the 25-year-old revealed he had his eyes on the top from a very young age.

And not just top spot in the rankings - McIlroy was lining up Woods in his sights when the former world No1 was at the best in the sport.

According to McIlroy's uncle, the Northern Irishman possessed considerable confidence as a child and even wrote a letter as a nine-year-old warning Woods to watch his tail.

In an email to the New York Times, Brian McIlroy said the note read: "I'm coming to get you. This is the beginning. Watch this space."

Whether Woods ever saw the letter was unknown but McIlroy confirmed its existence.

"A lot of those memories have kind of blurred together,"McIlroy told The Times. "But, yeah, it went something like that."

The pair could clash again at Augusta National next week but Woods' involvement in the first major of the year remained under an injury cloud.