McIlroy to crack Masters code
Rory McIlroy believes his Players Championship victory has provided him with the means finally to crack the Masters code in three weeks’ time. The Northern Irishman has broken the habit of a lifetime and learnt to focus solely within.
McIlroy, 29, has risen back to world No 4 after winning the event known as ‘‘the unofficial fifth major’’. His one-shot triumph over Jim Furyk, in a field bristling with every member of the world’s top 50, was his first victory in more than a year. Yet, although the likes of Jack Nicklaus went on social media with their congratulations, McIlroy was determined not to get caught up with the hype. Not so long ago, he had alerts on his phone so he could see articles posted about him, but he has purposefully turned off the stream.
Doing that allowed him to avoid all of the negativity which greeted his first five tournaments of the year, in which he finished in the top six each time but failed to make it over the winning line.
‘‘I’m proudest of my attitude and my mentality, not just on Sunday but throughout the year, and not letting all those close misses get to me, not letting the noise that built up around me get to me,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve been disciplined in not reading anything about myself, not watching anything about myself . . . wrapping myself in my own little world.
‘‘On Sunday, I was having lunch and the Golf Channel was on. I asked the guys to put it on mute.
‘‘I didn’t need to hear it. It’s stuff you don’t think is affecting
‘‘I’m proudest of my attitude and my mentality . . .’’ Rory McIlroy
you, but it could get in there.’’
McIlroy credits this personality change with his interest in self-help and motivational books and his newfound ability to stay grounded could prove hugely significant as he attempts to join Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player as the only golfers to complete the career grand slam.
‘‘In the past six or seven months, I’ve recognised I can’t let golf define me as a person,’’ he said. ‘‘In the past, I’d let what I’d shot that day influence my mood, but no more.
‘‘I haven’t taken any heed when people are saying ‘He can’t close any more’, ‘He can’t do it on Sundays’, blah, blah, blah . . . I’ve just got to do my thing, control what I can and good golf will take care of the rest.
‘‘If I turn up at Augusta with a similar golf game to this and have the same attitude, I’ll have a great chance.’’
McIlroy will only play in next week’s WGC Match Play before Augusta and although he is adamant he would have still believed he could win, even without his Players victory, one of his former Ryder Cup captains is not so sure.
Paul McGinley declared in the build-up to Sawgrass that ‘‘there is no doubt, Rory has an issue on a Sunday – and it is growing’’. But, now those demons have been buried, McGinley feels McIlroy has to be the Masters favourite.
‘‘Top-sixes are important, but a player of McIlroy’s quality needs to be getting wins and needs to be adding big titles like this to his CV,’’ McGinley said. ‘‘If you look back through the history of the Masters, so many of the champions have won earlier in the season. Furthermore, Augusta really suits McIlroy.
‘‘He is on the threshold of history, but the way he is knocking that pressure away and saying, ‘I’m in the moment’ certainly seems to be working.’’