Butch Harmon has backed Rory McIlroy to refind his big-time form at the Masters this week and complete a career Grand Slam.
And the Sky Sports expert reckons the Ulsterman will go on another run of Major victories when he ends his long Major barren spell.
The world No.9 chose to play the last event before Augusta for the first time in 2014 - and missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open by two shots after pedestrian rounds of 72 and 73.
Read more: Irish League fans have a theory on what Crusaders boss said to Paddy McLaughlin
But Harmon insists that McIlroy's game is going in the right direction - and he would be a popular winner of a first Green Jacket.
“We all want to see Rory win because we'd like to see him complete the lifetime Grand Slam. I think that would be phenomenal,” said the American swing guru.
“If we weren't talking about Tiger Wood and him attempting to play, Rory would be the one I think I would be talking about because.
“He's had his chances to win at Augusta before. We would all love to see him do it.
“And he definitely has the game for it. He's a high-ball hitter, which you need to be at Augusta because the ball has got to come down on those greens softly.
“He played this week because I think Rory's trying to find himself. And I think he's getting it back. He's playing better.
“He has glitches every now and then and I don't know if it's a lapse of concentration and hit some wild shots and makes double bogeys, but he looks like he's starting to swing a lot better and he's definitely starting to putt better and I think that'll be a big key for me if it.
“Once he dials in the wedges and there's no reason in the world he can't do it. He is one of the best players at the games ever seen.
“He'll get it figured out. And when he does he's gonna be something special to watch.
“So I'm very anxious to see how he starts off, especially the opening round. We get a lot of info and guys in the first Major of the year and how they play the first day because they get all nervous.
“Back in 97, Tiger went out 40 and came back at 30, so that took care of that. I think we'll know on Thursday just on how he plays and how Rory handles things.”
McIlroy, now 32, won the last of his four Majors at the 2014 US PGA.
“We look back eight years and it was like: ‘Oh, he's gonna win 8 or 9 or 10 Majors’,” he said.
“It's a little more difficult now than it was then - there are so many good players who can win Majors.
“And it's a confidence thing. Winning breeds confidence in it. If you're not winning that, it's pretty hard to be confident in what you're doing.
“I would love to see him win and just get the monkey off its back and I think he'll take off and start winning a lot of majors again, but this one is a lot of pressure for him.
“Now if he can slip on a Green Jacket next Sunday night, then he would just have a tremendous amount of confidence and he could run off a whole bunch of them.
“But first you gotta get this one.”
- Watch The Masters live on Sky Sports and NOW. Coverage from tomorrow until next Sunday is exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf.
Read more: Carl Frampton recalls opponent who left his body 'aching for days'
Read more: Meet the teenage Belfast boxer drawing comparisons to Tyson Fury
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
