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Thursday 5 April 2018 13:53, UK
Jack Nicklaus certainly knows what it takes to win the Masters, having won the tournament six times, and he is backing Rory McIlroy to don the green jacket for the first time on Sunday.
McIlroy will become just the sixth player to complete the career grand slam if he triumphs at Augusta National this week and Nicklaus believes he is more than capable of doing so.
The Northern Irishman has been in good form this year and claimed an impressive victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill last month.
"I talked to him this weekend and saw a few things and he is really swinging well, the best I've ever seen him swing," Nicklaus told the Golf Channel. "He obviously putted very well at Bay Hill so he's going to be tough to beat.
"If you picked anybody he'd be the number one to pick and rightly so. He's probably playing better than anyone else."
Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the only players to complete the grand slam so far, but Nicklaus believes McIlroy has already prevailed in the three hardest majors to win.
"You play it [Augusta National] every year, you can prepare for it easier, once you play the greens you should know them," added Nicklaus. "If you're not a long, high-ball player you can eliminate half the field before you even start.
"No tournament is easy to win, don't misunderstand me, but of the majors a top player has a better shot here than any other place."
