USPGA Championship 2013: Rory McIlroy has final shot at recreating the magic to save his season I knew I was going to win the tournament but I had that goal going down the last. I never ever want to get complacent and it was nice to be able do that. I had hit a good drive but not my best second shot and it was great to see the putt finally drop. McIlroy claims not to have known, when making his declaration to Fitzgerald, that the record-winning margin for the USPGA was seven - set by Jack Nicklaus at this very course in 1980. But those who know him best suspect differently; not least Fitzgerald. You know, thinking back I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know he needed to win by eight to beat Jack's record," Fitzgerald said. Rory is a golf anorak after all. Yes, McIlroy is something of an expert on the history of his profession. He will be aware that Nicklaus had his own majorless season when he was 24, having won majors the previous two seasons. Tiger Woods, as well, suffered a barren major spell from the first major of 1997 to the last major of 1999. In 1998, Woods won only once on the PGA Tour and questions were asked. That will be consoling for McIlroy, as will the fact that other greats such as Sam Snead and Sir Nick Faldo also had their down years. Yet, he will also be aware of the players at the top of the game, who fell off the map, never to return. David Duval, Ian Baker-Finch, Bill Rogers...it will not be too long until their names are whispered. Fortunately for McIlroy, there are substantial reasons to explain his slump. His putting coach, Dave Stockton, is prepared to list them, although it is inevitable that the headline-seekers will be quick to jump on his statement that "I just don't think he has worked." What Stockton meant was that there have been too many distractions off the course to allow him to maintain the ridiculously high standards he set at the back end of 2012, when he won three out of four events involving the world's best in a six-week period and established himself as the undisputed No 1. "He is still learning what he wants in life, that's my take on it," Stockton said. He has a girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, and all these things going on. Things happen, so OK, how do you adjust? I think his is more of a time management thing. He's signed this gigantic contract with Nike, is changing his management - all these things. For someone that young to be that successful, you don't want it to go to his head. But Rory's not going to change. We can only pray Stockton is correct so far as McIlroy the person is concerned. As for McIlroy the golfer, he confesses that his schedule has been wrong this season. The organisers of the Scottish Open, in particular, will be thrilled to hear of his plans for next year. "I do feel as though I got what I wanted out of playing in Akron at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational last week," McIlroy said. It was nice to have four competitive rounds going into a major. It will be something that I will try and do from now on. I took a couple of weeks off after playing the Irish Open before going into Muirfield but I just didn't feel sharp enough going into that Open and felt I needed more competitive play. I will look to do that in the future. For the present, McIlroy can only hope that, as he says, "I come into a bit of form in practice." If he does not, then there will be eight months until the next major, eight months for the inquisition to stir its hype. Quite simply, McIlroy must start to play well again. Just he like did at Kiawah, where he rewrote at history at will.