Rory McIlroy, confirmed for Abu Dhabi and Dubai, ‘has to work hard’ to dominate golf — Nicklaus

Rory McIlroy will play both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2017. Francois Nel / Getty Images

World No 2 Rory McIlroy has the talent but he must work harder to dominate golf, 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus has said.

McIlroy, 27, is only behind Australian Jason Day in the world rankings and has won four majors in his career so far, the last of which came in 2014.

The Northern Irishman has said he did not hit the heights he had hoped in 2016, a season that produced three titles — fewer than his two previous years — although a run of impressive form in the second half of the season ensured he finished top of the FedEx Cup standings.

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Golf fans in the UAE will get a double dose of McIlroy in early 2017, with the four-time major winner confirming his place at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, held January 21-24, before returning to the Emirates for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on February 2-5.

“Rory is one of those young men who has got a tremendous amount of talent,” American Nicklaus told the BBC.

“He has won and played on his talent to this point. If he wishes to dominate and go forward then he’s got to improve. He has to work hard.”

“I mean, whatever Rory does, he has established himself as one of the great players that has ever played the game.

“Whether he wants to be the greatest player to have played the game, that’s his determination and it’s his decision whether he wants to make that effort to try to do that.”

McIlroy, who has won the US Open (2011), the British Open (2014) and the US PGA Championship twice (2012, 2014), will be aiming to add the one major missing from his collection in April when the US Masters takes place at Augusta National.

And Nicklaus is sure it won’t be too long before McIlroy completes the set.

“I think he will win the Masters. He certainly has the type of game that would do well at Augusta and he has done well before — he just hasn’t finished it,” Nicklaus, 76, said.

“The media are going to focus on this because he hasn’t won it. He’ll win it.”

* Agencies

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