Mcilroy cannot fixate on another failed career Grand Slam attempt

Rory Mcilroy must not spend the next 12 months brooding over how he can win The Masters.

We all know that he only needs to win at Augusta to complete his career Grand Slam. But that must not consume his reason for playing golf.

Arnold Palmer never won the Grand Slam, yet he still had an incredible career. It was the same for Sam Snead.

Plus, just think how much golf there is to be played between now and next year’s Masters.

Rory wants to get back to being World No. 1 and he can do that by winning any of the other three Majors and the big events on the PGA Tour.

He has to tell himself that he did not lose The Masters. Patrick Reed won it with his own excellent play.

The biggest disappointment is that Rory didn’t give himself a chance on the back nine on Sunday. In fact, I would almost suggest that his hopes were over after just three holes.

He began with a terrible drive on the first that was lucky not to go out of bounds. Driving is Rory’s biggest strength and that would have unsettled him.

Then, after two great shots at the second, he rushed his eagle putt and the opportunity to draw level with Reed had gone. When the American birdied the third to Mcilroy’s bogey, the gap was once again back to three. But the die had been cast.

Having started shakily, Rory’s putting got poorer and poorer and that spread to the rest of his game. His 74 was easily the worst score of all the late starters. To win at Augusta, you need your best four days of the year on the green. The concern I have with Rory is whether he can go hot enough, for long enough, with his putter to do that. Reed, plus the other two who got themselves into the mix, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, are all wonderful putters. Rory is better than all of them tee to green. But not on the short grass.

Augusta is a unique challenge, but with Rory’s game from tee to green, I’m convinced he will win another Major this year.

I was sorry that Reed was not greeted more enthusiastically by the patrons for his first Major victory.

It’s sad that he is estranged from his parents. But too much was made of those personal issues, and not enough focus on his superb golf.

He had done the hard work on the first three days opening up that big lead. But he showed real resilience on Sunday.

Reed is a tough player, who can hole the pressure putts. We saw that in the Ryder Cup when he took down Mcilroy in the opening singles at Hazeltine two years ago.

He never looked too uncomfortable and he knew that, with Rory out of the equation, the rest would have to do something special to catch him.

Spieth threatened to, but one bad drive at the 18th was fatal, and Fowler’s fantastic golf was not quite enough.

Overall, it was a great advert for the sport and seeing the courses near where I live in the last few days, it has whetted the appetite to get out and play!