Rory McIlroy has vowed to banish his demons from his devastating crumble in Augusta four years ago – and complete a stunning Grand Slam at the age of 25.
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If the World no.1 is victorious in the Masters this year – having already won The Open, US Open and USPGA – he would become the first Briton to achieve such heights of success – and it would see him complete the target he gave himself, as a youngster, of landing all four Major titles to become the ‘complete player‘.
Despite his inconsistent form over the past few months, the Northern Irishman is the favourite for the Green Jacket.
The 25-year-old came within incredible touching distance of victory at Augusta in 2011, but relinquished a four-shot lead before the final round, which all but ended his hopes of success.
In an interview with the Mirror, McIlroy discussed how fired up he is for this year’s tournament:
“I have got used to competing in the biggest tournaments now and I have become much better at handling myself under pressure since that day in 2011 when everything went wrong.
“I showed that at the PGA last year when I turned a three-shot deficit into victory, and I have come through at other times when I have lagged behind.
“The two Majors I won last year have proved what I can do, and I have learned so much about myself when the chips are down.
He admitted that the pressure will be high, but is focused entirely on triumph: “There is going to be a lot of hype when I arrive at Magnolia Lane but I am going there with the sole aim of winning and that means not trying to build myself up too much.
“I am still trying to improve my performances and feel better prepared for every situation and not get ahead of myself but it would be fabulous to complete the Grand Slam at 25.
McIlroy added: “I’m within touching distance and if it happens it would bring everything into focus.”
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