McIlroy on Woods, Mickelson missing Tour Championship: 'They're just getting older'

For Rory McIlroy, the reason for the disappointing and injury-plagued tour seasons of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson's are fairly simple concepts to grasp.

The World's No. 1 explained the duo's failure to qualify for this weekend's Tour Championship rather succinctly Wednesday.

"They're just getting older," he told ESPN's Bob Harig. "Phil's 43 [actually 44] or whatever, and Tiger's nearly 40 [actually 38]. So they're getting into the sort of last few holes of their careers, and that's what happens."

Being 25, and on top of the golfing world, McIlroy can't sympathize yet, but it appears that he will stick around long enough to walk a mile in their soft spikes.

"I'll be able to tell you in 20 years how it feels."