IRISH golf icon Paul McGinley has backed Rory McIlroy to end Major his major drought. BUT the Sky Sports and Golf Channel analyst has suggested that it won't be at Augusta this year for the Northern Irishman. Four-time major winner McIlroy has opted to sit out this week's Valero Texas Open ahead of next week's Masters. The Holywood hotshot competed at last week's Texas Children's Houston Open in his last event before the opening major of the season at Augusta National. The world number two has been a serial contender at Augusta National but has never managed to get over the line at the famous Georgia course. McIlroy has posted seven top-10 finishes in nine starts from 2014 to 2022, including a career-best runner-up finish in 2022. And Dubliner McGinley believes Rory McIlroy may need to break his 11-year Major drought elsewhere before finally conquering Augusta National to complete the career Grand Slam. Speaking on an NBC conference call to preview the Masters, the Rathfarmham ace reckons there's scar tissue around Augusta for the Down native. He said: “Eleven years is a hell of a long time for the player of his quality,” “I’ve said it before, but how many players from back in 2014 are still right at the very top of the world rankings, or even anywhere in the top 10? “People have come and go - the Jordan Spieths, the Brooks Koepkas - but the staying power that he’s got, the sustainability over that period of time, has been absolutely phenomenal. “Obviously, the big miss is not having a Major championship, and I believe that could be a stepping stone here. "And winning another Major first may well be the path he needs to win at Augusta National.” McGinley added: “Going into the first Major of the year and all the attention that comes with being at Augusta National, on top of trying to win your first Major in 11 years, on top of trying to complete the Grand Slam, is a lot. “So maybe there’s a stepping stone needed first, and that will be to knock off one of the other three Majors before he comes in here with that question taken care of.” But even after working closely with legendary sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella in recent seasons, McGinley says the burden of history - and both McIlroy’s long wait for another Major may still be too heavy a burden to win at Augusta this year. He added: “Rory’s coming at things in a slightly different way now, based on all the experiences he’s had of not being primed on Monday, being primed on Thursday morning. “There’s a plan going on behind the scenes. I believe he’s up again this week in Augusta. He may even be there today. He was there last week and he’s had so many runs at this. “The difficulty is navigating all the pressure, the expectation, the press conferences, not bringing too much attention on himself… trying to get into a really calm head space. “And so I really do think that having Bob Rotella on his shoulder is a really important influence. There’s nobody who’s worked with more Major champions as a coach than Bob. “Rory’s biggest challenge is the mental one, and dealing with the baggage that comes with not just knocking off a Major championship for the first time in 11 years, but also trying to complete a Grand Slam.” McIlroy's most infamous Augusta moment came in 2011, when he held a four-shot lead entering the final round, only to collapse with a closing 80 — one of the most dramatic meltdowns in Masters history. He has missed the cut three times at The Masters (2010, 2021, and 2023), but remains one of golf’s most consistent global performers over the past decade. In 2024, he captured victories in Dubai, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans (alongside Shane Lowry), and Charlotte (Wells Fargo Championship). He also finished runner-up at the U.S. Open, claimed his sixth DP World Tour season-long title, and made a second Olympic appearance for Ireland. He returned to the winner’s circle again during the 2025 PGA Tour season, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and his second Players Championship in March.