AUGUSTA, United States (AFP) – Rory McIlroy makes his fourth try at completing a career Grand Slam with a Masters victory next week at Augusta National, where European golfers are enjoying their greatest run of success in 25 years.
Four-time major winner McIlroy won his 14th US PGA title two weeks ago at Bay Hill, making a final round charge to capture the Arnold Palmer Invitational with what the 28-year-old from Northern Ireland called one of his best-ever rounds.
“I kept saying I didn’t need a win going into Augusta to feel like I had a chance, I just wanted to see signs of good golf, and thankfully I’ve been able to get both,” McIlroy said.
With Spain’s Sergio Garcia winning last year and Danny Willett in 2016, Europeans are on their best green jacket run since Germany’s Bernhard Langer and Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal won in 1993-1994.
The only longer European run came when Scotsman Sandy Lyle won in 1988, England’s Nick Faldo won the next two years and Welshman Ian Woosnam took the 1991 crown.
This year offers another strong Europe contingent with Garcia defending his crown, England’s Paul Casey coming off a Valspar Championship win in March, England’s Justin Rose hoping to improve on last year’s runner-up effort and rising star Jon Rahm having won in the California desert in January.