Why push so hard for rivalries in 2012?

We all know that rivalries are good for sports -- Any sport. Especially in the world of golf, where it is always a one-on-one battle with each player in the field. Differing from team sports.

Rivalries are what make sports great to many fans, especially in golf fans.

Looking back over the years, golf has had some great rivalries no question. And those rivalries helped grow the game to a much broader audience.

However, too many around the game of golf are too quick to try and force rivalries between two players, just for the sake of a rivalry, before the players in question have faced each other more than a hand full of times.

Why do we want to force rivalries in golf before they have had the opportunity to form naturally? The way all the best rivalries have come to be known and appreciated in any sport.

Many in the golfing world want to see a Tiger Woods vs. Rory McIlroy rivalry for different reasons.

It could be that the 'young guns' of McIlroy's era, are now trying to take the torch from the would be 'old guard' as it were, of Woods era.

But why force a rivalry between these two players before letting them play a few years head-to-head? Battling it out on the back-nine of the U.S. Open on Sunday. Or coming down the finishing holes at Augusta with the Masters on the line.

Who will falter first with all the marbles on the line when they are head-to-head?

Too soon, are many to force a rivalry onto players; especially in golf, before a natural rivalry has had the chance to form.

Perhaps the rivalry of 2012 won't even include Woods vs. McIlroy. It could be between McIlroy and Lee Westwood.

Westwood ended 2011 by knocking McIlroy from his No. 2 position in the Official World Golf Rankings.

I'm sure the Northern Irishmen took note of that, on his very outspoken quest to become the World's No. 1 ranked golfer.

And why not a rival for Luke Donald?

He only made history in 2011 by winning the money titles on both the PGA and European Tour in the same season. Wrapping up a year which saw him rise to the No. 1 ranked player in the world.

Is he not 'flashy' or 'controversial' enough to be in a rivalry with say, McIlroy, Westwood or even Dustin Johnson?

To me, people are too quick to form un-natural rivalries between players just for the sake of saying it's a "rivalry".

Let's just sit back, take in the great golf that awaits us in 2012 and let the rivalries form for themselves.

You may just be surprised at what happens along the way.