Rory McIlroy looking to end his decade-long grand slam quest in Augusta

Despite its best efforts, the Tournament of Champions has failed in its efforts to kickstart the PGA Tour season into life.

As much of a thrill as it must be for a first-time winner to take the entire entourage on a January jolly to the idyllic Hawaii islands, some very notable names have failed to RSVP to the exclusive invite.

Rory McIlroy, perhaps, the biggest of all, as the four-time major winner likes to get things going in and around the Dubai desert to iron out any kinks ahead of the busy months ahead.

The moving of the Players Championship, often referred to as the fifth major, from May to March has helped to ignite the season, and as a result, it offers the elite players the chance to buy some form ahead of their spring stroll down Magnolia Lane.

For it’s Masters week, and while many, in fact most, players are thinking that it is the start of six months of high-profile golfing action, for McIlroy, it is effectively the season-defining seven days.

Hawaii - and Dubai - are both well and truly in the rearview mirror for those making their way up Magnolia Lane this week.

For the past ten years the County Down man has been entering the prestigious Masters tournament looking to join the very exclusive club of five who have completed the career grand slam.

Not even the great Arnold Palmer managed to win all four of the majors; his seven successes included four Masters, two Open Championships and a solitary US Open. Palmer was a three-time runner-up in the PGA Championship.

And the modern day equivalent would be Phil Mickelson whose six majors include a triple at Augusta National, two PGA Championships, and the Open in 2013. Lefty has accumulated an incredible six runner-up finishes at the US Open.

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