Is Rory McIlroy ready to win a major?

McIlroy aiming to put Masters behind him

Rory McIlroy's final round pursuit to win an elusive major at last month’s US Masters may have had a touch of Greg Norman’s 1996 meltdown to it, as his prayers were ignored at Amen Corner and sent rippling through Rae’s Creek – but for 63 holes around golf’s most prestigious venue, you simply could not ignore the young Ulsterman’s incredible wealth of talent. 

McIlroy had the British nation on the edge of their seats and the rest of the world in awe up until his infamous tee shot on the 10th which would have infuriated even the Sunday hacker.

Yes, he endured one of the worst two hours of his golfing life on the biggest stage of them all, and probably wished he’d grown his mop of hair a fair bit longer to cover up the embarrassment etched on his face, yet many critics seem to have forgotten McIlroy would have still required a three-under par back nine just to have made a playoff with South African Charl Schwartzel - so it was not a complete open goal after all. 

The poster boy of world golf, who turned 22 on Wednesday, knows time is on his side and his day will eventually come - but whether McIlroy is ready to make the major breakthrough just yet remains questionable.

Lacking the killer instinct

With two titles already locked away in the trophy cabinet, including his maiden PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo last year, McIlroy has also thrown in numerous reminders over the past 12 months to suggest he has more nerves than Arsenal Football Club when it comes to winning silverware. 

At last year’s British Open Championship, McIlroy tore up The Royal Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews on day one to card a major championship record-tying round of 63 – only to follow it up in similar circumstances to Augusta with a second-round 80.

Other recent calamities include surrendering a 36-hole lead at the Dubai Desert Classic in February after opening round three with three consecutive bogeys, before being upstaged by Italian teenage sensation Matteo Manassero just seven days after his epic collapse at the Masters.

Many critics argue if McIlroy cannot see out regular European Tour or PGA Tour events when his name hits the top of the leaderboard, then how can he possibly attempt to write his name in the history books when it comes to the majors? Perhaps they are right, but whether he is 22 or 32, there is no doubt the mental Masters scarring will take plenty of time to heal – just ask the likes of Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, players who have had more top 10s than hot dinners but are still searching for their first ‘W’ in the majors.

Proving his critics wrong

McIlroy defends his Wells Fargo title this week

Despite McIlroy’s major heartbreak, he is currently enjoying some of the best form of his life with seven top 10s in his opening nine events of the season - shooting him up to a career-high world number six and one place ahead of Tiger Woods.

Without doubt, McIlroy is a major champion in waiting. He has already gained invaluable experience from 10 appearances in the big ones, performing admirably with three top-three finishes and one top 10 in as many starts.

And what better way for McIlroy to silence his critics than to defend his Wells Fargo title this week, as he looks forward to a massive few months on the world circuit, including the US Open at Congressional and British Open at Royal St George’s.

Out of the two forthcoming majors this summer, McIlroy will be slightly more excited at the prospect of having another crack at the British Open on July 14. The Northern Irishman, who grew up playing on links courses as a kid back home in Holywood, will deservedly start as one of the favourites as he bids to break his major hoodoo in front of his adoring British fans.

Work in progress

McIlroy has spent the last two weeks fine-tuning his putting stroke, reportedly with American guru Dave Stockton Jr, as he bids to find some answers as to why he is currently ranked 126th on the European Tour’s average putts-per-round ranking.

Yet McIlroy's putting is peerless when the adrenaline flows, as it did during last year’s spectacular final-round 62 at the Wells Fargo and his third-place finishes at the British Open and US PGA Championship – suggesting it is simply a lack of self-belief with the flatstick than anything else at the moment.

His performance through three rounds at the Masters was a logical progression - but following his unexpected demise, he must quickly regain his confidence and rebuild his reputation as golf’s brightest young star.

McIlroy’s biggest challenge over the next few months may not be with his putter, but rather his ability to rid the demons of his mind when in contention for tournaments, in particular the majors. He has the game, he has the talent, he has the swing; all he needs now is to prove he can close out when pressure reaches its peak.