Woods can play for another 10 years and catch Nicklaus big flight – McIlroy

Watch the moment that Tiger Woods wins the 2019 Masters

Masters Champions Tiger Woods is said to have "10 years to go" as a competitive player, says Rory McIlroy.

Woods, 43, broke an 11-year drought to reach his 15th major at Augusta National in April, to get closer to that of American Jack Nicklaus & # 39; s record of 18.

Asked if Woods could equal Nicklaus' distance, four-time big winner McIlroy said: "I think so, it rejuvenates and re-activates that story.

" Tiger could have been competitive in 10 years Augusta if his body allows it. "

The Northern Irishman said," Many people compared it to Jack in 1986 (when he became the oldest Masters winner at the age of 46), everyone knew these were would be the last big championship. "

Woods seems ready to continue his recent revival. He challenged major titles during both the Open Championship and the American PGA Championship in 2018 for winning his 80th PGA Tour event – and first in five years – at the th Tour Championships last September and then claiming his fifth Masters Green Jacket.

However, former number one McIlroy, 29, said he believed the American's career was over when the couple "Had lunch together in 2017.

" It was March 2017 and just came from the back of another operation, and all he thought of was the quality of life, watching his children grow up, being able to play football in the backyard. "McIlroy said it needs to win the Masters and become a member of an elite group of players that includes Woods, to have won all four majors of the sport.

" His thoughts were true n not even on golf, which told me: "He thinks this can be it & # 39 ;, and from stories I heard, during the Augusta champion dinner that year, he said the same things, maybe he didn't play competitive golf again .

"In two years' time thinking what happened, it's incredible. It's very important to come back from what he has and I don't think people appreciate what went into it."

McIlroy is going to improve the "pathetic" US Open album

McIlroy will participate in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina to complete a hat trick of victories at the event.

It will serve as a warm-up for the US Open on Pebble Beach from June 13-16.

McIlroy, who won the event in 2011, said: "I was pathetic at the US Open, so I changed that, I'm going to make it my third week in a row. I have three missed cuts one after the other "It is pathetic. You could do that.

" I don't see it as just & # 39; this big week & # 39 ;, it's a wave of wave coming and I'm excited about that. "