Rory McIlroy already preparing to master final slam target at Augusta National

Three-quarters of the way to becoming the sixth player to achieve the modern career grand slam, Rory McIlroy needs only to win the Masters to complete the set.

With his win in the British Open, Rory McIlroy now has his eyes set on completing the career grand slam by capturing The Masters at Augusta, Georgia. Stuart Franklin / Getty Images

Rory McIlroy was in such complete command of his game, he squeezed the drama out of the British Open. Winning seemed like a foregone conclusion.

The last day was mostly about the margin of victory and what the personable McIlroy might say afterward.

Yet the jolt of electric anticipation that McIlroy gave the game in broader terms was immeasurable. Three-quarters of the way to becoming the sixth player to achieve the modern career grand slam, he needs only to win the Masters to complete the set.

The Masters starts on April 9, nine distant months down the road.

However, the storylines that whet fan appetites and keep the sport relevant in an ocean of spectator options already have started to emerge.

McIlroy played a Masters round last spring with Augusta National member Jeff Knox, a former Georgia State Amateur champion, who schooled him on some of the course’s nuances.

McIlroy on Sunday said he plans to contact Knox in an attempt to glean more inside knowledge. He reportedly sent a letter Knox to play a couple of rounds with him ahead of the 2015 event.

“I’m not sure he needs a lot of my help,” Knox said on Tuesday. “He’s the No 2 player in the world, but I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

There are 258 days until the Masters begins.

For fans of the Northern Irishman, if not pure history, they cannot pass quickly enough.

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