Rory McIlroy CAN win The Open this year thanks to 'two things going for him' in bid to break 9 year curse

Fired-up Rory McIlroy is back in the perfect place to bury his Major jinx.

But twice winner Padraig Harrington has warned The Open favourite he has to be patient in the chase to end the agonising nine-year drought. McIlroy is gunning for more Hoylake heroics as he looks to repeat his 2014 success at Royal Liverpool. The 34-year-old has endured almost a decade of disappointment in Majors. But Harrington, the champion in both 2007 and 2008, believes everything is set up ideally for McIlroy to banish the pain.

Asked if returning to Hoylake might help McIlroy find the missing link, he said: “Yes, of course, it could. He’s got to like the golf course. He’s got to be familiar with the course. Everything seems to be setting up nicely in terms of conditions and what we are expecting. And the other thing is that he can clearly win any week, so you have two things going for him.

"He can win any week and he’s going to a golf course where he’s got good memories and will be comfortable. Unlike me, who is going to a course where I’ve missed the cut twice!”

McIlroy is champing at the bit to get his bid started just before 3pm this afternoon. And Harrington admits it was just small margins that denied the world No.2 last year at St Andrews and last month’s US Open in Los Angeles. But he added: “It’s patience, which is a horrible thing for Rory. It’s often the case when you win once, there’s maybe two or three in there pretty quickly.

“From 10 years ago, there’s more players around, so it’s not as free and easy, is it? It’s not a foregone conclusion. We keep seeing players come into the pomp of their career and they look unbeatable for a period of time, usually about two seasons, 18 months.

“Look, Rory can win any week and he is