McIlroy looking to grab the full load

Augusta title would complete golf Slam

Augusta, Ga. — Rory McIlroy has a chance this week to join the most exclusive club in golf: career Grand Slam champions.

Only five men have won all four major championships since the inaugural Masters in 1934: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods.

McIlroy, 26, won the U.S. Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and the British Open in 2014.

He needs the Masters to complete the slam.

“It’s definitely motivation to put your name alongside those five guys,” McIlroy said. “I guess I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve felt the pressure of it because I didn’t have a real chance to win the (Masters) last year (he finished fourth, but six shots behind winner Jordan Spieth).”

McIlroy had a great opportunity to win the Masters in 2011, when he held the lead after 18, 36 and 54 holes. But he skied to a final-round 80 and tied for 15th.

“I feel like I’m a good enough player,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got everything I need to become a Masters champion. But I think each and every year that passes that I don’t, it will become increasingly more difficult. So there’s no time like the present to get it done.”

Spieth said he has had a “fantastic couple days” preparing for the defense of his Masters title. Championships in back-to-back starts earlier this year.

“I’ve played some good golf certainly over the Florida stretch, but that’s nearly a month ago now,” he said. “I can’t rely on that to get me where I want to be this week. So for me it’s a new week and a new challenge and the way I see it I’ve got three tough days — Thursday, Friday and Saturday — to put myself in a position to win a Masters championship.

“Everything in the lead-up has gone well. It’s up to me to execute it now.”

Jim Herman years financially and maybe just a little shot in the arm of confidence. . . . He’s doing great in what he’s doing right now and we’ll see how far that goes.”

Augusta