Rory McIlroy cools talk of new era before US PGA campaign

McIlroy has won his last two tournaments

Rory McIlroy says his recent form does not signal "the start of an era", as he prepares for the US PGA Championship.

The world number one has won his last two tournaments, including the Open at Hoylake, and is favourite to claim his fourth major at Valhalla this week.

But the 25-year-old says talk of the "Rory era" is premature.

"I've had a great run over the past few months, but sometimes people are too quick to jump on the bandwagon," said the Northern Irishman.

"It's nice to win a few tournaments and get back to where I feel I should be, but I'm not sure you can call that the start of an era."

However, McIlroy said his confidence in his game was at an all-time high following his victories at Royal Liverpool and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone last week.

"Definitely over the past couple of weeks, it's the best I've driven the ball," McIlroy said. "I've put on three kilograms of muscle in the last eight weeks, so that definitely helps.

"I've started to work harder in the gym and I've got stronger in certain areas of my body, which I needed to.

"My wedge play has come up as well. I discovered a little thing with my putting, which seems to have worked also. I'm converting a lot of the chances that I'm giving myself."

McIlroy celebrates his 2012 US PGA victory at Kiawah Island

McIlroy is bidding to become the first player to win back-to-back majors since Padraig Harrington triumphed at the Open and the US PGA in 2008.

He won his first major at the 2011 US Open at Congressional and followed it up with victory in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island.

McIlroy is only the third player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win the three modern majors at the age of 25, and needs just the Masters to become only the sixth player in history to clinch all four of golf's major titles in his career.

Nicklaus, Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the other players to have achieved the feat.

The US PGA Championship, the final major of the year, begins near Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday.