Rory McIlroy should be heading into the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship full of confidence.
McIlroy finished in a tie for second at the Genesis Invitational last week, despite not being able to buy a putt during his last round until the final green, when he sunk a 30-footer.
The 36-year-old’s 2025 PGA Tour season was the stuff of dreams, after he won three times and completed the career Grand Slam following his Masters victory.
Do you think Rory McIlroy will win a major in 2026?
His game is trending but winning majors is always an incredibly difficult thing to do…
Motivation has been a problem for McIlroy since that win at Augusta National.
However, he seems to have come out in 2026 with a list of new targets and a fresh set of career goals.
The first two weeks of the PGA Tour season have been very positive indeed for the Northern Irishman, despite the fact that he hasn’t won yet.
With the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship just around the corner, though, a win for McIlroy does not feel too far away.
Rory McIlroy admits how he feels about his game ahead of Bay Hill and The Players
McIlroy was obviously disappointed not to win the Genesis.
However, his ball-striking was superb all week at Riviera, and it was only the tricky Poa annua greens that gave him problems.
McIlroy spoke to reporters after his final round and responded when asked how he really feels about his game right now.
“Overall a really positive week,“ he said.
“I feel like I’ve got a lot out of this West Coast Swing, last week at Pebble and then here. Have a week off to work on some things even though I feel like my game’s pretty much all there.
“Looking forward to Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS. I feel like my game’s in really good shape. I’m looking forward to getting on some Bermuda greens over the next couple weeks.
“But it’s feeling good, it’s feeling much better than it did in Dubai, which is a big step in the right direction. Just have to keep working.“
That sounds ominous for McIlroy’s competitors.
Will Rory McIlroy win a major in 2026?
With Scottie Scheffler not firing on all cylinders right now, and some huge golf tournaments coming up, the five-time major winner could be set for a really strong run of golf.
He may have already completed his own version of climbing Mount Everest, but there is plenty more for the 36-year-old to achieve in the game.
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Winning major championships is never an easy thing to do.
At the end of the day, you could play fantastic golf all year long and fail to win one of the biggest four events.
A certain amount of luck is definitely required in order to get over the line, regardless of how well you might be playing.
However, the key for Rory McIlroy is that he is confident ahead of the biggest events on the 2026 PGA Tour calendar, and that hasn’t always been the case.
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