Thomas Bjorn thinks Rory McIlroy has the talent to become the first European to win 10 major titles in his career.
But, as highly as he rates the 22-year-old Northern Irish golfer, Bjorn also has reason to believe he can deny him the Omega Dubai Desert Classic title on Sunday.
The pair went into Saturday's third round at the Emirates Club tied for the lead on 13 under par, one ahead of Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello.
Both are former winners of the trophy, but when the 40-year-old Dane lifted it in 2001 he played all four rounds with Tiger Woods - and that at a time when the American was world number one and only a month away from holding all four majors.
Bjorn is older now, but last season won three times - just like McIlroy - and at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland he shot a closing 62 and the US Open champion was among those left trailing in his wake.
So too were Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer and Bjorn is also hoping to get the better of them again in the last leg of the European Tour's Middle East swing.
Kaymer, who had the first hole-in-one of his life on Friday, resumed two behind and Westwood was only one further back after finishing his second-round 65 with three birdies.
"They are people capable of amazing things, but I won in Switzerland with those three on the leaderboard and that's not long ago," Bjorn said.
"It's very easy to get impressed by the way they play the game, but you've got to go out and focus on your own game."
He and McIlroy, whose first professional victory came on the course three years ago, have both opened with rounds of 66 and 65, putting Bjorn's tournament record 22-under-par total in jeopardy.
The 64-strong field for the Accenture World Match Play Championship later this month is determined this weekend and among those trying to force their way in are Dutchman Joost Luiten and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts.
They are currently ranked 67th and 69th respectively and started the third round two under par and six under.
