World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is confident he can finally end what will be a six-year victory drought in capturing a long overdue fifth Major Championship.
It’s been that long since McIlroy captured back-to-back Majors in winning the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and then finishing in near darkness to win the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla in suburban Louisville, Kentucky.
“I remember when we had that chat at the end of 2013 I predicted I would win two and I went on to do that,” said McIlroy in an interview during this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational with good friend and colleague, Steve Watson from BBC TV Northern Ireland who had flown out to the States to speak with Ireland’s three Major Champions.
“So I am predicting I will win at least one.
“I think the game of golf has changed a lot since that, a lot of new golfers have come onto the scene – Brooks Koepka has won four, Jordan Spieth has won three, a lot of new guys, new blood and new competition.
“But the fact that I am still up there giving myself a chance week in week out, playing some of the best golf of my career gives me a lot of confidence this season.”
McIlroy is just a month away from staring at what will be ‘Take 12’ in his quest to win the Masters and join just five other players to win the coveted Grand Slam.
And having been so close now on a number of occasions, there are not many golf fans around the globe who would not wish the now 30-year such success.
Though McIlroy is not just targeting a maiden Masters victory.
“I hope I am not going to win just one more, I am going to win a few more. It’s been long enough, five and half years since I won a major,” he added.
“It seems a long time ago and a lot has happened since but I know how to do it, I’ve done it before and I know how to get it done.
“Even since those major winning years or days, I have beaten the best fields in golf. I’ve won two FedEx Cups since then, I’ve won a Players Championship, I’ve won this tournament at Bay Hill.
“I’ve done a lot of great things in golf so it’s just a matter of doing it on the right weeks.”
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