Although nine years is a long time to go in between Major wins, Sir Nick Faldo believes a mental reset and a little sharpening of his short game can get Rory McIlroy a fifth Major triumph at the 151st Open Championship.
A long time has passed since McIlroy won the Open and PGA Championship in the space of a month back in 2014 – and he’s sampled agonising near-misses on more than a few occasions since.
Working against that build-up of scar tissue – McIlroy returns to where he lifted the Claret Jug at Hoylake nine years ago on the back of a scintillating Scottish Open victory.
And three-time Open champion Faldo says that the Northern Irishman almost needs to treat the present like he’s starting a new career, hitting the reset button mentally to start winning Majors again.
“You’ve got two sides because you’ve got nine years which is a long time, not many players go nine years – but he’s so talented, it’s not like his game’s gone down,” said Faldo.
“He really is so talented that if he can (win another Major) if he can just almost hit the reset button – that was his one career, right, start again.”
Faldo says that McIlroy, now aged 34, is right in his prime and still has plenty of time to add to his Major tally – but also thinks he’d benefit from pushing things like LIV Golf debates and other things aside and just focusing on golf.
“He’s still in is prime, my goodness, he’s in his prime age,” added Faldo. “He’s just got to find that little bit of trust and determination and fend off everybody else.
Rory McIlroy had a superb finish to win the Scottish Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“It’s a great time to be playing golf with so many good players. But you’ve got to play against yourself first – three days playing against yourself before you then take on the rest of the guys and what scores they’re shooting.
“But I’ve got kind of a good vibe that he can pull another one out, because why not?
“He’s in the prime of his career really – just push all the other stuff aside and when you’re on the golf course just be a golfer. I think he’s got a hell of a chance.”
Short game key for McIlroy’s chances
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Some say McIlroy played too passively when leading in the final rounds of last year’s Open and this year’s US Open, others have pointed to putting and other aspects, but Faldo has his own theory.
The six-time Major champion says McIlroy has to try and stick his wedges and approach shots much closer, even the bad ones,…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly RSS Feed…