30 years on, Sandy can’t get enough of Augusta

Rory McIlroy chose the perfect time to remind us just how good he is with his superb victory at Bay Hill.

With The Masters looming large in everyone’s thoughts, Rory made a statement of intent about his bid to achieve his career Grand Slam.

Having not had one for 18 months, McIlroy badly needed a win. As a result, his chances at Augusta have increased so much.

He had let an event slip in Dubai earlier in the year to China’s Haotong Li, and when you don’t win for a while, you start to doubt yourself. That has all been shaken off now.

We sometimes forget that the Northern Irishman has already won four Majors.

Just when the attention was turning towards Tiger Woods’ comeback or the American young guns, Rory came to the party. That’s when he is so dangerous.

His final round at Bay Hill was something special.

It was Rory at his best, with imperious driving and a red-hot putter. It was the easiest 64 you could imagine.

I expected a close Sunday with Tiger, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose all up there. But Rory blew them all away with a convincing three-shot winning margin.

He showed that when he is on his game, it takes something special to stop him. a quality very few players have.

Rory doesn’t just have an A game, he has an AA game. If he produces that at The Masters, watch out.

When it all clicks, he can win Majors by eight shots as he has done at both the US Open and the US PGA.

I’ve always thought that if any course suits Rory McIlroy, it’s Augusta. It’s perfect for someone of his prodigious length.

But he will need a good week on the greens. You can’t win a Green Jacket without holing some crucial putts.

However, it looked like he has taken on board some putting tips that Brad Faxon has given him.

If he can maintain the same relaxed attitude with the short stick as he does with the big stick, then he is going to prosper.

Rory has a good record at Augusta without winning. I’m certain that if he had won there in 2011 when he led going into the back nine, he would have won two or three Masters by now.

This is now his fourth trip to Augusta with a possible Grand Slam at stake. That has brought pressure every time.

It will be no different this year, but he’s not searching for his best golf.

His competitive schedule in 2018 has worked. You want to feel ready for the second Sunday in April. Rory has built up to that by winning at Bay Hill.

When you feel confident and on top of your game, you’re trying to ride the wave and make it last as long as possible.

Obviously, Rory went out in the group stages at the WGC Match Play, but that event is unpredictable. There can be an anti-climax after a big win, so I’m not unduly concerned.

Great players have big ambitions, and Rory is one of those.

I can see him winning every Major at least twice, but he knows he has a big hurdle that he must first overcome at Augusta.