KIAWAH ISLAND, South Carolina, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Rory
McIlroy says he hopes to rediscover, at this week's PGA
Championship, the 'buzz' of being in contention for a major
title after a season in which his outstanding early form has not
been replicated in the big tournaments.
Since winning his first grand slam crown by a staggering
eight shots at the 2011 U.S. Open, the Northern Irishman has
been bitterly disappointed by his failure to contend in the
game's biggest events.
Though only five major championships have taken place since
then, it is a measure of McIlroy's rapidly rising golfing stock
that he is expected by his peers, the fans and himself to be
consistently in the title hunt.
As heavy rain lashed the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island on
Wednesday, the mop-haired McIlroy was asked by reporters whether
he was frustrated he had not won a major since last year's U.S.
Open at Congressional.
"Not really, I've hopefully got 25 more years to try and win
major championships," the world number two replied. "But I'm
disappointed that I have not contended (in majors) since. I
haven't given myself even a chance.
"I was in a good position at the Masters going into Saturday
and shot a bad third round there and sort of blew myself out of
contention.
"It would be great just to give myself a chance this week,
get into contention and just feel that buzz again of getting
into contention in a major and remembering how it feels."
McIlroy tied for 40th at the Masters in April after closing
with scores of 77 and 76. He then missed the cut at San
Francisco's Olympic Club on his U.S. Open title defence and
finished joint 60th at last month's British Open.
FAST START
What especially rankled the Northern Irishman was that he
had been playing superb golf heading into the Masters, posting
four top-threes in his first five starts on the 2012 PGA Tour,
including victory at the Honda Classic in March.
"Obviously I was very disappointed after the Masters,
because I felt going into it that I was playing really well,
playing great golf," the 23-year-old said.
"I played a little scrappy the first two days but still got
it around and was a couple off the lead going into the weekend.
I felt like I had a great chance, so to fall away like that was
disappointing."
Asked to assess his 2012 campaign, McIlroy replied: "It's
been good. There were a few goals I set myself early at the
start of the year, which I achieved; getting to No. 1 in the
world, playing well, winning a tournament early.
"The second half of the season has been a little bit more of
a struggle but I feel like I'm playing pretty well. If I had to
give my season a grade to this point, I'd probably give it a
'B'. And I've still got a lot of good golf to look forward to."
McIlroy likes the look of the ultra-long, 7,676-yard Ocean
Course at Kiawah Island which will host the year's final major.
"It's a long golf course, a big golf course, a golf course
you not only have to hit it well, but you really have to think
about what you're doing out there," he said.
"You really have to pick your spots where you want to hit
it, and obviously with the weather the way it's been this week,
that's going to play a pretty big factor, too.
"But you know, I like what I see. I think the course is in
phenomenal shape. I love the greens. I love the paspalum
(grass). I think the ball rolls really, really well so I'm
looking forward to the week."
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Simon Evans)