Rory McIlroy believes he is close to a first win since September 2016 ahead of this week's Honda Classic, an event which has been either "feast or famine" for the four-time major winner.
McIlroy, who hasn't won since 2016's Tour Championship, has played well so far in the build to the first major of the 2018 at Augusta National in April.
The Northern Irishman has seen some encouraging signs, including a second place finish at the Dubai Desert Classic and T-3 at the Abu DHabi Championship.
However, he remains adamant that winning a tournament in the build up to the Masters is not essential.
"Obviously last year Sergio [Garcia] had won a tournament beforehand, Danny Willett the year before had won a tournament, but I don't think it's necessary," McIlroy told a pre-tournament press conference.
"To get a win under your belt going into it does make you feel a bit better but you don't have to. I feel like that's putting yourself under an awful lot of pressure.
"I'm close. I think positive thoughts and I'm very happy with where my game's at. I feel like I'm just waiting for everything to sort of fit together. I feel like I've seen enough good things in my game over the past few weeks to know that it's not far away.
"Feast or famine -- that's what my history's been here. It's a tough golf course and it magnifies if your game's off just a touch. If you miss it by tiny margins here it can punish you quite heavily. But if you're on, it gives you opportunities to score and that's what's happened."
McIlroy needs to win the Masters to complete the career grand slam, and if he does emerge victorious, it would make it a hat trick of European wins.