McGinley and McIlroy during the 2014 Ryder Cup. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
PAUL MCGINLEY EXPECTS Rory McIlroy to become a dominant force after finishing 2014 as world number one.
The Northern Irishman added two more majors to his career haul last year with victories at the US PGA Championship and Open Championship, while also being part of Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning team – captained by McGinley.
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McIlroy returned to top spot in the rankings in August having relinquished it earlier in 2014, and McGinley warned he is only going to get better this season.
“Rory is the undisputed number one player in the world at the moment,” he said at a media event at Wentworth Golf Club.
“He is a guy who is still in his early twenties, he is going to get better, we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
“It is important he stays ambitious as he is now, it is important that he dedicates himself as much as he is now and there is no reason why any of those things won’t happen.
“I think he will win more major championships, the Masters and Augusta is certainly a golf course which suits the game that he plays. I’d be very surprised if at the end of his career he hasn’t won more than one Masters green jacket.”
The Masters title is the only major McIlroy is still to win, with a tie for eighth in 2014 his best finish at the Augusta National.
However, McGinley is convinced that will change given the course is so well suited to him, with his first green jacket possibly coming this year if he starts the tour well.
He added: “I don’t know if it is going to happen this April. I don’t want to put expectations on his shoulders by saying it is going to happen this April.
“It could well happen, but we never know in this game and the one thing that the Masters has shown over the years is that early-season form is normally a prerequisite to somebody winning the Masters.
“So January, February, March and the beginning of April before the Masters is very important for Rory, because there is a real correlation between players who play well in that period of time [and those who] generally have a good Masters.
“Hopefully win a tournament in the first few months and set himself up for that so early season form is important to build up a bit of momentum going into the Masters.”
Paul McGinley - 'World number one McIlroy to get even better in 2015'
PAUL MCGINLEY EXPECTS Rory McIlroy to become a dominant force after finishing 2014 as world number one.
The Northern Irishman added two more majors to his career haul last year with victories at the US PGA Championship and Open Championship, while also being part of Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning team – captained by McGinley.
McIlroy returned to top spot in the rankings in August having relinquished it earlier in 2014, and McGinley warned he is only going to get better this season.
“Rory is the undisputed number one player in the world at the moment,” he said at a media event at Wentworth Golf Club.
“It is important he stays ambitious as he is now, it is important that he dedicates himself as much as he is now and there is no reason why any of those things won’t happen.
“I think he will win more major championships, the Masters and Augusta is certainly a golf course which suits the game that he plays. I’d be very surprised if at the end of his career he hasn’t won more than one Masters green jacket.”
The Masters title is the only major McIlroy is still to win, with a tie for eighth in 2014 his best finish at the Augusta National.
However, McGinley is convinced that will change given the course is so well suited to him, with his first green jacket possibly coming this year if he starts the tour well.
“It could well happen, but we never know in this game and the one thing that the Masters has shown over the years is that early-season form is normally a prerequisite to somebody winning the Masters.
“So January, February, March and the beginning of April before the Masters is very important for Rory, because there is a real correlation between players who play well in that period of time [and those who] generally have a good Masters.
“Hopefully win a tournament in the first few months and set himself up for that so early season form is important to build up a bit of momentum going into the Masters.”
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better and better European Tour Golf Paul McGinley PGA Tour Rory McIlroy