Brooks Koepka has dismissed suggestions that he has a rivalry with Rory McIlroy, pointing out that the Ulster man hasn't won a major in the last five years.
The world number one says he doesn't view McIlroy as a rival because he's failed to add to his four majors since Koepka secured a PGA Tour card in 2014.
"I've been out here for, what, five years, and Rory hasn't won a major since I've been on the PGA Tour," Koepka said.
"So I just don't view it as a rivalry. I'm not looking at anybody behind me.
"I'm number one in the world. I've got open road in front of me, I'm not looking in the rearview mirror, so I don't see it as a rivalry.
"You know if the fans do call it a rivalry, then that's on them and it could be fun.
"Look I love Rory he's a great player and he's fun to watch, but it's just hard to believe there's a rivalry in golf. I just don't see it."
Koepka collected his fouth major when he landed the P-G-A Championship in May while McIlroy won the FedEx Cup this season.
"He talked about trying to be the dominant player in the game ... and I thought: 'He's going to have to go through me first'," world number two McIlroy said of Koepka recently.
"If that's both of our mentalities going forward, I think that's good for the game."