Darren Clarke believes that Rory McIlroy's game is in the right place to claim glory at the PGA Championship over the next few days.
The European Ryder Cup captain believes that the man from Hollywood can win at Baltusrol and add to his tally of majors as he looks to round off the year in style.
McIlroy hasn't won a major title since 2014, but with two PGA Championship wins under his belt to date, there's no doubting that he has the experience that could prove crucial.
As a result, Clarke believes that the next win for Rory isn't too far away, and may in fact come this weekend, given the form he's shown in in 2016 to date.
"He's been very close to playing really well for quite some time now," said Clarke. "He just seems to have thrown in the odd not so good round, and the putter hasn't really been behaving.
"But Rory is such a talent that he can win anywhere. When you have his ability to hit the ball as far as he does and as straight as he does, he can overpower any golf course.
"Just because he hasn't won since the Irish Open, I have no concerns whatsoever. It's only a matter of time before he wins again and it may well be this week."
With Danny Willett and Henrik Stenson claiming somewhat surprising wins, 2016 hasn't seen the other big names such as Jason Day Or Jordan Spieth assert their dominance at majors either, meaning that Rory isn't the only one looking for a redemption of sorts in New Jersey.
As the final major on the calendar, Spieth also has a lot on the line. After looking like he was charging towards another Masters win before his lead fell away, he has also slipped down the world rankings in the last few months. There's no doubt that 2016 hasn't been as kind to him as 2015, but appears to still be confident that he can rediscover his best form.
Speaking earlier this week, he said "I don't think that I am a better player this year than I was last year, I think I'm the same player."
Whether Clarke's prediction comes true and McIlroy wins again, or Spieth manages to roll the clock back a few months, the stage is well and truly set for a massive weekend in Baltusrol.
Via The Independent
