Harrington certain Rory can handle pressure

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON believes a Masters victory for Rory McIlroy is inevitable – but he says no player will be under more pressure at Augusta next week.

McIlroy’s quest to complete the grand slam of major wins has been disrupted on his last two visits to the tournament, and the way this time is barred by the usual thriving field, but with Dustin Johnson leading it in exceptional form.

‘It is only a matter of time before he gets across the line at the Masters, but all eyes are on him,’ said Harrington (left), who will work for Sky Sports as a commentator at the event this year.

‘There is pressure on him,’ he said of McIlroy’s task. ‘It’s the last (leg) of the grand slam. There is no bigger tournament. The minute the Masters finishes, he’s thinking about it for the next year.

‘It’s a big deal to Rory. He’s clearly good enough to win it. He’s probably secondfavourite this time behind Dustin Johnson, and he might be the only player capable of beating him if Dustin turns up with his A game.

‘Another player might try to play it down but the truth of it is it’s the biggest deal in golf for Rory. There is nothing bigger. If he can get the grand slam of golf, it puts him on a different level completely in the history of the game.’

The pressure sits easily on the shoulders of his countryman, Harrington believes.

‘He doesn’t mind a bit of hype. I don’t think he minds the pressure that comes with it. From the outside it might make it difficult. I think he has acquitted himself pretty well at the Masters; it’s just circumstances that he hasn’t won one as yet.’

Harrington, who failed to qualify for the Masters this year, is currently recuperating after surgery to relieve a trapped nerve in his neck. He is aiming to return for the BMW Championship at Wentworth in the last week of May.