Mcilroy confident form is returning but win not vital

Tournament success pre-masters would make four-time major winner ‘feel a bit better’ but a victory is not essential

Rory Mcilroy believes he is close to a first win since September 2016 ahead of this week’s Honda Classic, an event which has been either “feast or famine” for the four-time major winner.

Mcilroy won the tournament in 2012 to become world number one for the first time, but walked off the PGA National course during the defence of his title the following year.

He initially told reporters at the 2013 event he was in “a bad place mentally” and then issued a statement citing severe toothache as the reason for withdrawing.

The 28-year-old had played his first eight holes in seven over par but later admitted that was “no excuse” for quitting as he struggled to get to grips with his new equipment following his multi-million-dollar deal with Nike.

In 2014 Mcilroy looked on course to make amends in style when he opened with rounds of 63 and 66, only to card a closing 74 and eventually lose out in a play-off to Russell Henley, while he missed the cut in 2015 and 2016.

Mcilroy needs to win the Masters to complete the career grand slam and make it a hat-trick of European wins.

“Obviously last year Sergio (Garcia) had won a tournament beforehand, Danny Willett the year before had won a tournament, but I don’t think it’s necessary,” he told a pre-tournament press conference.

“To get a win under your belt going into it does make you feel a bit better but you don’t have to. I feel like that’s putting yourself under an awful lot of pressure.

“I’m close. I think positive thoughts and I’m very happy with where my game’s at. I feel like I’m just waiting for everything to sort of fit together. I feel like I’ve seen enough good things in my game over the past few weeks to know that it’s not far away.

“Feast or famine – that’s what my history’s been here. It’s a tough golf course and it magnifies if your game’s off just a touch. If you miss it by tiny margins here it can punish you quite heavily. But if you’re on, it gives you opportunities to score and that’s what’s happened.

“I’m starting to get into that flow again. I’ve missed it and it’s becoming familiar again. I’m trying to get my game solid for April (the Masters) and I’ve got some work to do.”

Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Chris Wood is targeting a second Qatar Masters title as he looks to belatedly kickstart his bid for a Ryder Cup return.

Wood ended last season in poor form, finishing 68th out of 72 in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and 57th out of 60 in the DP World Tour Championship, although he was sick on the course during the final round in Dubai.

And 2018 got off to an even worse start with three consecutive missed cuts before last week’s second place behind good friend Joost Luiten in Oman proved there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s a nice time to put in a bit of a result the week before you come back to somewhere you’ve won, because whenever you come back somewhere you’ve won or done well there’s always a little bit of confidence you take from that,” he said.

“Having come in off the back of a decent effort last week, that multiplies coming into this week so I feel quietly confident.”

Courier Country golfers Connor Syme, Drumoig, and Bradley Neil, Blairgowrie, are among 10 Scots in the Qatar field hoping for success.

Picture: Getty. Rory Mcilroy in action during a pro-am for the Honda Classic.