By Phil Casey, Press Association Sport
Published: 18:33 BST, 10 June 2019 | Updated: 18:33 BST, 10 June 2019
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Rory McIlroy is ready to play with complete freedom as he tries to create history by ending his major drought at Pebble Beach.
McIlroy's victories in the Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA Championship in 2014 make him the last player to win a PGA Tour event immediately before winning a major, but no player has ever followed a Tour victory with another at the US Open.
The 30-year-old can achieve that feat this week following his dominant victory in the RBC Canadian Open, where he closed with rounds of 64 and 61 to win by seven shots - the tournament's biggest winning margin in 67 years.
Rory McIlroy kisses the trophy after winning the RBC Canadian Open by seven shots
McIlroy's second victory of the season followed his only missed cut of 2019 in the Memorial Tournament and gave the former world No 1 a timely confidence boost as he tries to claim a first major title since that 2014 US PGA win at Valhalla.
'It's an affirmation of what I can do when I play with complete freedom like I did over the weekend,' McIlroy said.
'Even (when winning) the Players Championship I sort of had to grind it
