Rory McIlroy issued stark warning about Masters performance and future

Jack Nicklaus has issued a warning to Rory McIlroy

Jack Nicklaus has warned Rory McIlroy that completing his career Grand Slam will only get “tougher” as he gets older.

And the Golden Bear cited Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer as examples of great players who never made the exclusive club.

Only five men have won all four Majors with three of them — Gene Sarazen (1935), Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods — achieving the feat at the first attempt after winning their third.

Woods did it at the 2000 Open aged just 24. Nicklaus (1966) and Gary Player (1965) both won at their third attempt.

World No 2 McIlroy is making his 10th bid to claim the Masters — the only Major he has never won — a month before his 35th birthday.

Woods said on Tuesday it is just a matter of time before the Ulsterman wins a Green Jacket.

Speaking at a press conference for the honorary starters, Nicklaus was asked the same question.

“The answer to that I think is yes,” said the Golden Bear, now 84, before adding: “I closed the deal when I was 26 years old.

“And Tiger closed it when he was probably younger than I, and Gary, who was 29. As he gets older, it gets tougher because all of a sudden it’s a conversation, the talk.”

Eight-time Major winner Watson never won the US PGA despite holding a five-shot lead at Oakmont in 1978 before losing a play-off to John Mahaffey.

Watson said: “Is it something that I regret? No, not really. If I were destined to win the tournament, I would have won it.”

Seven

The late, great Palmer won seven Majors but finished runner-up three times in the US PGA.

Eighteen-time Major winner Nicklaus added: “Is Tom Watson good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely.

“Was Arnold Palmer good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely.

“Is Rory McIlroy good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely, but they have got to do it, and they all know that, and do I think Rory will win here? Yeah. He could win this year.

“He could win next year. He’s just too talented not to. But then again, they were too talented not to win those, too. You just never know.”

McIlroy said before his 16th appearance that he plans to play “boring” golf at Augusta to cut down on mistakes.

Nicklaus later told Golf Channel: “I only have one criticism of Rory. He has to concentrate 100 per cent of the time. He has lapses where he makes double or triple bogeys.

“I don’t know why it happens but it happens. But I love him. I root for him every week. I would love to see him do it.”

Woods has said he is capable of equalling Nicklaus’ record of six Masters victories this weekend despite not completing 72 holes for 15 months.

“Tiger is quite capable of winning,” said the Golden Bear.

“I said in here 20 years ago, Tiger had a chance to win more than Arnold and I had put together, and that would have been ten. And he probably would have if he had not been injured.

“I think he’s got a tough way to go to win. I think he’ll certainly hit the ball well enough to do so.

“Whether he physically can handle what has to happen with it, and he’s also got to be able to score better than everybody else, too.

“But anyway, he’s a very special, talented athlete, and I wish him well.”

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