Sir Nick Faldo believes Rory McIlroy is at the peak of his powers and has enjoyed “ideal preparation” ahead of his latest bid to win the Masters and complete a career grand slam.
McIlroy needs to earn a green jacket to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in having won all four major titles.
The world number two has had 10 attempts to do so since winning the 2014 Open to complete the third leg of the slam, but has never previously travelled to Augusta on the back of two victories before the year’s first major.
“He has had ideal preparation,” three-time Masters winner Faldo, who will be commenting on the tournament for Sky Sports, told the PA news agency.
“Physically and technically he is really good. It is all down to the mental strength, dealing with the past. What’s your approach this year?
“He knows what his goal is. We can do everything from happy-go-lucky to ‘I am on a mission and put my blinkers on’. So that is for him to decide.
“I would be saying to myself, ‘I am the best player in the world when I am on. I am the best’.
“You have to be completely focused on everything. You know if you can do that, you are already beating 95 per cent of the field there. I know I went to majors and thought, ‘If I can beat him, him and him’…. and if you can get it down to one (even better).
“When Greg (Norman) was world number one and I went to St Andrews (for the 1990 Open) I was thinking, ‘If I can beat Greg, that’s it. That’s the one to beat’. Rory might in the same boat with Scottie Scheffler.”
Faldo was 31 when he won his first Masters title in 1989 and 38 when he overturned a six-shot deficit to Norman to claim a third green jacket in 1996.
McIlroy was just 25 when he claimed the last of his four major titles to date at the 2014 US PGA and will turn 36 early next month.
“He is at the peak of his powers. What a great age,” Faldo added.
“Physically, he is mega fit. He has taken on the whole science of producing speed. Physically and technically, the swing always looks pretty fabulous. The driving is amazing. His only issue is short irons – we have seen that and documented that for years. It has gone on a little bit too long.”
Having said that, Faldo was impressed with the knocked-down nine iron McIlroy hit to the daunting 17th at Sawgrass which effectively sealed his Players Championship play-off victory over JJ Spaun.
“You have got to have the ability to just manoeuvre the golf ball and know where it is going to manoeuvre,” Faldo added.
“It is where your bad shots go. If your bad shots are 20 feet with your wedges, great. If they are going to be 50, 60 feet, then you are in trouble.
“Augusta is really all about landing it on the number. You don’t just aim at the blooming thing and hit it. It needs a lot of thought. I loved that. Get in your own bubble with your caddie and you go out and work. It is not a joy ride. You go out and work hard on the test at hand for the day.”
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