As Rory McIlroy stood on the first tee before his final round in the 2014 British Open Golf Championship at Hoylake, he must have been quietly confident that his six stroke lead would be sufficient for him to win his third Major. Two eagles in the final three holes of his third round had been had been the decisive moments in allowing the Northern Irishman to build his commanding lead and which would necessitate his nearest challengers to attack the links course on the Wirral peninsula.