Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes Rory McIlroy may have to finish his main drought away from The Masters to assist his probabilities of competing the profession Grand Slam.

McIlroy has been unable so as to add to his 4 main titles since his 2014 PGA Championship success, regardless of having 21 main prime 10s throughout that spell and persevering with to recurrently win titles on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

The world No 2 has already received twice on the PGA Tour in 2025 and is among the many favourites once more for the opening main of the 12 months, stay from Thursday on Sky Sports activities, with The Masters the elusive main required to develop into the sixth participant to finish the Grand Slam within the trendy period.

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McIlroy has posted top-eight finishes in eight of his final 12 main appearances, together with a second to Scottie Scheffler at Augusta Nationwide in 2022 and being runner-up in his final two US Opens, with the Northern Irishman going through rising expectation so as to add to his tally.

“Eleven years is a hell of a very long time for a participant of his high quality,” McGinley mentioned in a pre-tournament media name. “What number of gamers from again in 2014 are nonetheless proper on the very prime of the world rankings, and even anyplace within the prime 10 on this planet rankings?

“The endurance that he is acquired, the sustainability over that time period, has been completely phenomenal. Clearly, the large miss will not be having a significant.

“I personally imagine it could possibly be a stepping stone right here, and successful one other main first could be the trail that he wants with the intention to win right here at Augusta.

“Going into the primary main of the 12 months and all the eye that comes with being at Augusta Nationwide, on prime of attempting to win your first main in 11 years, on prime of attempting to finish the Grand Slam, is rather a lot.

“Possibly there is a stepping stone wanted first and that will probably be to knock off one of many three majors earlier than he is available in right here with that query taken care of.”

This 12 months’s occasion is McIlroy’s seventeenth consecutive look at Augusta Nationwide, the place he famously squandered a four-shot lead throughout the closing spherical of the 2011 contest and has completed inside the highest 10 in seven of the final 11 years.

Tiger Woods has beforehand mentioned that McIlroy finishing the Grand Slam will “positively occur” sooner or later, though McGinley warns that – as a lot as he has an important alternative – it’s removed from sure.

“No one has a proper to win The Masters and we have seen phenomenal gamers come and go and never win there,” McGinley added. “I can consider Ernie Els in addition to Greg Norman, who had video games and skillsets that you just assume can be appropriate to win round there.

“If he [McIlroy] would not win a Masters, it is nonetheless an outstanding profession that he is had. Sure, it might have been a disgrace that he did not win the Grand Slam, as a result of that is the elite of the elite.

“Increase with one other two or three can be nice, however to be in that elite six is one thing particular. To knock off and take care of the stress of being that sixth individual and the stress to win at Augusta is hard. It is an enormous quantity on anyone’s shoulders. It’s a risk, nevertheless it’s not a given.

“Present me a golfer on this planet that would not wish to be in Rory McIlroy’s footwear having to take care of it?! You simply need the chance to take care of it and the problem of getting the potential for that occuring to you. It is nice footwear to be in.”

Issues going McIlroy’s manner for The Masters?

McIlroy adopted his season-opening victory on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am with a play-off victory at The Gamers, with that early success – alongside with sluggish begins to the season by lots of his anticipated challengers – conserving McGinley upbeat concerning the 35-year-old’s probabilities.

“With out attempting to pile an excessive amount of stress on Rory on already what’s there, there’s a few issues lining up at this second in time,” McGinley admitted. “However they’ve lined up prior to now, keep in mind, too, and issues have not labored out for him.

“Not solely do you have got Rory successful two of the largest occasions thus far on the PGA Tour, the truth that he has additionally received it together with his ‘B’ sport, that is new. That is an evolution of Rory McIlroy and that is totally different than what we have seen earlier than.

“I believe the second can be that his best adversaries, the fellows you’ll count on to be actually difficult right here, are barely off their sport, and none of them are exhibiting an enormous quantity of type.

“The largest problem for Rory is the psychological one. I do know that Bob Rotella has been an enormous affect on him within the final 18 months, and I believe he’ll have him very effectively ready now. This isn’t the primary rodeo going into the Masters working collectively, they’ve had two or three runs at this now.

“Two or three of these issues all colliding collectively will get me just a little bit buoyed. I am not going to say over-buoyed, and I am definitely not going to say giddy, however just a little bit buoyed that he does have a powerful likelihood this 12 months compared to different years.”

When is The Masters stay on Sky Sports activities?

Sky Sports activities Golf will probably be exhibiting report hours of stay protection from the 2025 contest, the place Scheffler returns as defending champion, together with extra motion over the ultimate two rounds than earlier years.

Wall-to-wall protection from the event begins at 2pm on Thursday, with Featured Group motion and common updates from across the course accessible to get pleasure from on Sky Sports activities Golf till the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm.

The identical timings will apply on Friday, whereas a brand new addition to this 12 months’s protection sees a Masters build-up present stay from 3pm over the weekend forward of full protection beginning at 5pm, protecting all of the motion till after the shut of play.

On Sky Sports activities+, Sky Q and Sky Glass there may even be a number of additional motion, offering loads of bonus feeds and permitting you to comply with gamers’ progress by way of numerous components of Augusta’s well-known structure.

Who will win The Masters? Watch from April 10-13 stay on Sky Sports activities. Stay protection of the opening spherical begins with Featured Teams on Thursday April 10, from 2pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.