By Rory Carroll
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) -Former Masters champions Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson said on Thursday they believe Rory McIlroy will complete the career Grand Slam with victory at Augusta National this week.
McIlroy is a Green Jacket away from joining Nicklaus, Player and three other golfers in landing all four of the sport’s majors and enters the tournament in great form having notched two titles this year.
“I think Rory McIlroy will win the Masters this year, and I hope he does because it would give golf a great boost to have another winner of the Grand Slam,” Player said after taking part in the honorary starters ceremony.
“He has the best swing in golf without a question. He’s the fittest golfer… it’s just the right time for him to win now. There’s no golf course that suits a man better than it does for Rory.”
Twice Masters champion Watson concurred.
“I just have a gut feeling that Rory is the guy that’s going to win this week. That’s the bottom line,” he said.
Nicklaus, who won the tournament a record six times, said it was about time the Northern Irishman triumphed at Augusta and said he came away impressed when the pair met for lunch last week to discuss strategy.
“I said, Rory, I know you prepared for Augusta; tell me how you’re going to play the golf course,” Nicklaus said.
“We went through it shot for shot. And he got done with the round, and I didn’t open my mouth. And I said, well, I wouldn’t change a thing. That’s exactly the way I would try to play the golf course.”
Nicklaus said it will be imperative that McIlroy avoids any big mistakes.
“Discipline is what Rory has lacked in my opinion,” he said.
“He’s got all the shots. He’s got all the game. He certainly is as talented as anybody in the game. But if you look, go back and see his history the last few years, he gets to a place a lot of times (where) an eight or a seven pops up, and that keeps you from getting to where he needs to go.”
Nicklaus said McIlroy’s biggest threat will likely come from world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who has posted strong finishes this year despite not winning a tournament.
“Between the two of them, I think you’re going to find your winner,” he said.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Ed Osmond)
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