Rory heads to Hoylake on a high as he bids to end major drought

WHEN Rory McIlroy won the last of his majors, in 2014, Jack Nicklaus declared he would go on to win 15 to 20 of them.

- Matt Majendie

At the time, the declaration did not seem so far-fetched, but now 34 majors have passed without him winning one — 3,265 days to this point — and 21 firsttime major winners have emerged over that period.

And yet he has been there or thereabouts throughout. Since that US PGA win in 2014, no player has been so consistent in golf’s big four, McIlroy finishing in the top 10 in 19 majors.

But he has not been able to convert such positions, be that in last year’s Masters or similarly the previous Open, where he shared the lead going into the final round, did not miss a green in his final 18 holes and still could not beat Cameron Smith.

It seems that no major now goes by without mention of McIlroy ending his long wait. In nearly a decade of facing such questioning, it is perhaps unsurprising that he has opted to duck his media duties for a second successive tournament.