Legend Player predicts McIlroy will master Augusta

Gary Player becomes an official starter for The Masters this week — and he is tipping Rory McIlroy to end the week as winner.

The Northern Irishman will be looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s final-round meltdown in Augusta, and Player is in no doubt McIlroy has the mental strength to come out on top.

“I think Rory has a little revenge in his heart for the golf course,” said Player, who joins Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer on Thursday morning to hit the ceremonial opening drives.

“You remember last year he was playing so well and was leading and he had that collapse in the final round with an 80. The way he recovered from that upset at the US Open a couple of months later showed what maturity he has. The disappointment might have seriously affected a less mentally strong young man.”

But Player, in his blog on the tournament for the Laureus Sports Awards website, expects Tiger Woods to be a real danger.

“He played extremely well when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week before last — it’s the first time I’ve seen him drive the ball well in a long time. He’s going to be very, very tough at Augusta. He knows the course, he’s confident. He’s had a tough time for two years and he’s very hungry — I expect him to do extremely well. Can Tiger beat Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championship wins? His two years away from the game has certainly disrupted what seemed to be an inevitable progression to that record. To what degree, I don’t know. He has the ability to do it, but it would be very foolish to predict what would happen because he has got to win five more majors to pass Jack. But he is a man with such focus and dedication and hunger, I don’t see anyone else quite like that in the game of golf today.”