Faxon: ‘Positives for McIlroy’ ahead of PGA after tip from Tiger

Rory McIlroy missed the cut at The Masters last month and remains without a major victory since winning the PGA Championship in 2014; Can McIlroy end that run at Oak Hill? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports

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Paul McGinley believes Rory McIlroy’s confidence is low after the Masters and doesn’t expect him to play well at the US PGA Championship

Brad Faxon has backed Rory McIlroy to bounce back from his disappointing run of results and failed Grand Slam bid at The Masters to impress at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy missed the cut at The Players and saw his bid to complete the career Grand Slam end with a shock early exit at The Masters, either side of a strong performance at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, then struggled on his return to action at the Wells Fargo Championship.

The former world No 1 has been unable to add to his four major titles for nearly nine years, despite registering 17 top-10s in majors during that period, although Faxon – who works with McIlroy on his putting – believes there are areas for him to be encouraged by ahead of his return to Oak Hill.

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As Rory McIlroy prepares to win his first major title since the 2014 PGA Championship, take a look at the best bits from his final round at Valhalla

“There are a few things that I think are positives for Rory,” Faxon told Sky Sports. “He’s been to Rochester a lot as his wife Erica’s family is from here, so he’s been here before and he’s played this golf course as it is designed after the restoration.

“He had last week off with his long-time swing coach Michael Bannon, who flew in for practice and has stayed around this week, so he’s back working in ways that are familiar to him.

“There was also a surprise phone call from Tiger Woods on Thursday of last week. Tiger said ‘hey, let’s talk about your swing a little bit’, so he got a little tip from Tiger – anyone would take that! Hopefully all that stuff gels.

“I think Rory has got to gear this up this week because this is a course you’ve got to be on it in all facets of your game. Having said, the stronger players are going to have a little bit of an easier time, as not everyone who hits it in the rough is going to be able to muscle it up by the green.”

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Rory McIlroy says victory at the US PGA Championship requires discipline at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester

Does pressure motivate McIlroy?

McIlroy admitted his “mental and emotional well-being” was part of the reason for skipping the RBC Heritage the week after his missed cut at the opening major of the year, with the early exit extending a winless major run stretching back to 2014.

The Northern Irishman admitted he was taking a different approach on how he approaches major tournaments when asked in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the PGA Championship, with Faxon pleased to see the areas McIlroy is working on.

“Every great player puts pressure on themselves,” Faxon added. “It’s a way to motivate, to get them going and majors do that as well, maybe to the detriment of some players.

“McIlroy was asked what he was working on, his mental game, because this game is so mental, maybe more mental than anything else. He said ‘I’m managing expectations’, which is really important.

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Rory McIlroy gives a very short answer to a question about the future of the professional game at a press conference ahead of the PGA Championship

“Players try to play in the present. They’re trying to keep their mind singularly focused on the shot at hand, the hole in hand, the round of the day, and also trying to throw away what everybody else thinks.

“Getting off to a good start is important, but what Rory really proved at The Masters last year, with his great final-round 64 to finish second, is that he doesn’t always need every part of this game to be perfect for him to contend.”

‘So many good storylines’ at Oak Hill

McIlroy’s attempt to win the PGA Championship for a third time and ambition to end his long major drought is one of a host of potential talking points heading into the tournament, with Faxon intrigued to see who impresses.

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As Rory McIlroy prepares to win his first major title since the 2014 PGA Championship, take a look at the best bits from his final round at Valhalla

“I think there are so many great stories this week,” Faxon explained. “You have Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler both trading who is first and second in an elite way across almost every category, with both very close to each other.

“There’s the unknown with Jordan Spieth and his wrist. Will he play? Will he be able to contend? Will he be able to win the PGA and complete the Grand Slam? That would be remarkable.

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Andrew Coltart believes there could be an opportunity for Jordan Spieth to claim his Grand Slam if he goes under the radar at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester

“Could you have a LIV Golf win this week, maybe from the likes of Brooks Koepka or last week’s winner Dustin Johnson? If they did, would they make the Ryder Cup team? It certainly is interesting.

“Can Phil Mickelson be a story? I don’t think there was anybody that would have predicted that he would win the PGA a couple of years ago and now we’re talking about him being a potential contender here after his second-placed finish at Augusta National, which came out of nowhere.

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“Could Justin Thomas defend and complete the three-peat? Can world No 1 Rahm win and continue towards the Grand Slam? There are also a bunch of players who have never won a major championship that are knocking at the door.

“Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked player never to have won a major and Xander Schauffele seems to have his game in a great place. Viktor Hovland has moved up the ladder a lot and Tony Finau too, so it’s a wonderful group of players and we’re in a great part of the game.”

Watch the 105th PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf.