McIlroy seen as Masters shoo-in
RORY McIlroy was installed as one of the joint betting favourites for the Masters the moment he tapped in for par on the final hole yesterday to win the richest tournament in golf, the Players Championship.
Earning a one-shot win at TPC Sawgrass from 48-yearold Jim Furyk, world No.4 McIlroy ($9) joined world No.1 Dustin Johnson ($9) as the favourite with Ladbrokes to win Augusta National’s green jacket next month.
With a chance to complete golf’s career grand slam at the Masters, four-time major winner McIlroy knows the hype will be furious during the next three weeks.
Having heard negative comments about finishing in the top six in his past five US PGA Tour events without winning, McIlroy said he was prepared for the “noise”.
“I feel like I’ve managed the first six tournaments of the year very well, even with some noise around me, whether it is, ‘He can’t close, he can’t play on Sundays’, blah, blah,” he said.
“But if I go to Augusta with a similar golf game and the attitude I’ve shown this year, I’ll have a great chance.”
McIlroy, 29, had played in three Sunday final groups this year without securing a PGA Tour victory.
Although he wasn’t in yesterday’s final pair at the $US12.5 million ($A17.6 million) Players, he bounced back from an early double-bogey and carded a two-under-par 70 that gave him a 16-under total.
With Furyk (67) in the clubhouse at 15 under, McIlroy needed a par on 18.
He smashed a drive down the middle of the fairway, hit his approach to 4.5m and twoputted for a $US2.25 million ($A3.18 million) payday.
With his 15th PGA Tour victory, McIlroy believes he has entered the “second phase” of his stellar career.
“I (debuted at Sawgrass) as a 19-year-old in 2009, missing the cut, getting kicked out of bars in Jacksonville Beach for being underage, so I’ve come a long way in those 10 years,” McIlroy said.
Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott both lamented squandering a chance to win with sloppy final-round performances on the par fives.
Day played Sawgrass’s three-shot holes in even par and Scott in one-over fashion.
Day started the final round three shots from the lead but a bogey on the par-5 ninth gave the Queenslander a front-nine score of two-over.
Two back-nine birdies were too late for Day as the 2016 Players winner signed for an even 72, finishing tied for eighth at 12 under.