US star Arron Oberholser reckons Rory McIlroy will dominate the Ryder Cup for years to come.

The American was paired with the Holywood hotshot for the third round of the Open at Carnoustie.

Oberholser won their duel by a shot - 72 to 73 - but finishes a stroke behind him in the championship proper.

But he was so impressed with the teenager's game that he predicted future Ryder Cup glory for the Holywood ace.

The Californian said: "Rory is going to be on plenty of Ryder Cup teams. He's that good.

"I've played with other great young players - Ryan Moore, Tiger when he was in college, Matt Kuchar, Joel Kribel. Rory is ready to turn pro right now.

"He doesn't have any weak spots. He's miles and miles ahead of where I was at 18."
A five-shot winner in the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach last year, Oberholser picked out McIlroy's up and down for par at the short eighth as a shot of world class.

McIlroy missed the green to the right and was on a steep downslope.

But Oberholser could hardly believe the quality of his recovery.

He said: "He grabbed a lofted club, which shocked me. I would've bumped something into the hill, but Rory slipped under it and lofted it onto the green and rolled it up there to about a foot.

"I went, Whoa, that's not an amateur shot; that's a best-player- in-the world shot. I was really impressed."