Rory McIlroy searches for golf's Goldilocks zone at Golden Bear's course

A week in Ohio could be just what Rory McIlroy needs right now.

The Memorial Tournament near Columbus is one that enjoys elevated status on the PGA Tour and carries a $12m purse while possessing a major-worthy field.

But apart from those obvious attractions, there's also possibly a conversation to be had with an occasional mentor, Jack Nicklaus, the tournament host who knows what it’s like to win and lose and also lift a major title after a long hiatus – in his case six years.

That’s familiar territory for McIlroy, who walked out of the clubhouse at Southern Hills last Sunday week palpably painfully disappointed after arguably the best opportunity he’s had to win a major in over seven years went awry.

Untypically, as is well documented, he opted not to speak to media afterwards.

He then retreated to the clubhouse to gather his belongings and emerged within 20 minutes with gaze fixed downwards towards the steps he was taking towards the courtesy vehicle that would whisk him off the property.

Raising his head to make eye contact would mean engagement with a few lingering media veterans with whom he would normally be quite forthcoming.

This, though, was different to previous disappointments. The round he had just signed off on was a 68. Only three players on the final day of the USPGA Championship had shot lower, and even then by just by a single stroke. So there was probably something deeper, more lingering and complex to process after a 15th top-ten finish since he last won a major championship.

There had been the now familiar Sunday flourish of birdies, but it wasn’t enough as there were none in the last 13 holes. It was not, by any means, a meaningless high finish and he really did move to the fringes of contention, but he had