Tiger Woods is convinced it’s “just a matter of time” before Rory McIlroy wins the Masters and completes the career Grand Slam and the Holywood star agrees he must simply remain patient and wait for his time to come.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Woods said. “Rory has the talent. He has the game. He has all the tools to win here.

“A lot of things have to happen to win at this golf course. A lot of things have to go right. Rory has shown over the years he’s learned how to play this golf course and you just have to understand how to play it. He’s been there. Last year he made a great run, put himself there. But whether it’s this year or next or whenever it comes, he will get it done and he will have a career Grand Slam. It will definitely happen.”

McIlroy has made eight attempts to win the Masters and complete the Grand Slam since winning The Open in 2014. But he knows that if he’s to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods in that exclusive club, he must learn from past mistakes and resist the temptation to chase the green jacket too aggressively.

“I’ve always said that the moments that make you vulnerable and the ones that provide the most disappointment are also the ones that provide the most learnings and lessons and I felt like I learned a lot from Portrush in 2019,” he said of his disappointing missed cut in The Open on home soil.

“Even missing the cut at The Players a few weeks ago, I felt like I learned a lot from that. So, you know, it’s been this theme throughout my career.”

He’s worked hard with sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella on his mental game and reckons patience is key to success having shot himself out of contention by shooting over par on day one in each of the past four years.

“I’ve just got to go play my game,” McIlroy said. “I don’t have to really feel like I have to do anything that different. I feel like my game is good enough to make birdies out here. It’s avoiding the big numbers. I alluded to it in the press conference there when once you start to chase on this golf course, that’s when it can really bite you.”

“So patience, it always comes back to that, especially at the four Major championships. But for me, more so than any other attribute this week is just to show a lot of patience, just wait for the right time and really stay diligent with being aggressive at some holes and staying pretty conservative on other holes.”