McIlroy sets major goals

Rory McIlroy admits winning more majors is high on his list of 2016 priorities in what will be a busy year in the golfing world.

The 26-year-old already has four of the world’s top-four events on his CV but failed to add to that tally this year, with an ankle injury plus the emergence of both Jordan Spieth and Jason Day as major players halting his progress.

The Northern Irishman won the Open Championship and the US PGA Championship in 2014 in what was his best year as a professional but there is a sense that he has not quite been at the top of his game this year.

There is still much to play for as he prepares for the Race to Dubai’s Final Series, with an outing in this week’s Turkish Airlines Open next on the agenda.

But he is already looking towards the new season and hopefully a return to the pinnacle of the sport.

“I don’t hide the fact that the majors mean the most to me, so there will be emphasis on being in good physical and mental shape in the early part of the season,” he told ESPN.

“I’ve also got the Rio Olympics and the Ryder Cup in the US to think about in 2016. It’ll be a busy year and one I’ll have to plan for carefully.

“The Masters is up there. I’ll prepare for it in the same way I prepare for all the majors, and work towards getting all the parts of my game to click into place at the right time.”