Jack Nicklaus is confident that Rory McIlroy will eventually complete the Career Grand Slam by winning the Masters at Augusta National, claiming that he is too good of a player not to achieve it.
Nicklaus, who is hosting the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club as players get some late competitive action before next week’s US Open in Pinehurst was quizzed on why the likes of Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and McIlroy have never won his tournament.
“Oh, they will win, it’s just golf,” he replied on Wednesday.
A late Sunday charge from McIlroy in Canada last week wasn’t enough to secure his third RBC Canadian Open victory as Robert MacIntyre claimed a thrilling maiden PGA Tour win.
But the Holywood man looks in good form ahead of his latest tilt at trying to win at Jack’s place. McIlroy’s best finish in 12 starts is a tie for fourth in 2016, but he has five top-10s since he first teed it up in Dublin in 2010.
Similar statistics can apply to Augusta National where he has been in the upper echelons of leaderboards without really contending to win on the final day, but Nicklaus who won 18 majors including six green jackets believes it’s only a matter of time before McIlroy gets over the line at the Masters.
“I remember Rory hasn’t won at Augusta either. Do I think he will? Absolutely I think he will. He’s too good not to,” said the 84-year-old.
“Do I think he’ll win here? Yeah, he should. Certainly good enough. But I thought I was good enough to win in Canada and I finished second seven times there, never won there. Barbara kept sending me back, she says, I’m going to send you back until you do it right. Never could do it right.”
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