GOLF NEWS - Rory McIlroy believes Sunday's Arnold Palmer Invitational triumph provided vindication to his assertion that he was close to his best as the Northern Irishman hopes to carry that form to a maiden US Masters victory at Augusta next month.
McIlroy entered last week's tournament in patchy form after missing the cut in two of his four PGA Tour starts this year but the 28-year-old produced a spectacular final round at the Bay Hill Golf Club to win a first title since 2016.
"I have even more optimism now," McIlroy told reporters. "It was just more validation that what I've been doing has been correct. It all sort of just came together.
