Rory ready to ruin the Tiger tale
RORY McILROY heads into the Masters intent on ruining the Tiger Woods fairy tale, saying a Green Jacket on Sunday would mean “everything” to him.
While all attention will be on Woods’ return to Augusta National today, McIlroy’s attempt to complete the Major Championship set is a powerful personal driving force.
“Any time Tiger Woods is healthy and in this sort of form, he’s dangerous at any golf tournament. Given his history here, I think even more so,” said McIlroy.
“But my focus is on trying to complete the career Grand Slam. It’s what I think about when I get up in a morning and it’s what I think about when I go to bed. The last piece of the puzzle is Augusta and there’s no time like the present.”
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn believes McIlroy is in the right place to challenge after winning his first tournament in 18 months at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a blistering final-round 64 at Bay Hill.
“Rory needed to get back to winning ways and to realise he can putt on a Sunday. That’s what he has been missing. That’s what he needed in his head to settle him,” said Bjorn.
“Bay Hill was amazing – relaxed and free flowing. That’s the way we like to see him. Nothing for a player beats that fresh feeling of winning and he can go into this tournament with that.
“This is the Major Championship I thought he’d win first and it suits him down to a tee. The way he plays this golf course, it should be right there for him to do it. It is
surprising that it’s the one he’s missing but he will win it eventually.”
McIlroy will be aiming this weekend to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods in completing the set of golf’s four Majors, a select group to which Bjorn believes the 28-year-old Northern Irishman belongs. “The career Grand Slam is something special and, if you can put yourself on a list with only five names on it from all time, it can’t be anything but on your mind.
“He should be on that list because he is a unique golfer ho stands out a little bit from the rest.”
McIlroy is one of a clutch of in-form Europeans muscling in on the Masters, including Paul Casey, who also won last month on the PGA Tour, and Ian Poulter who took the Houston Open title on Sunday in a play-off to earn the final spot in the field here.
Poulter said: “To get it done the way I did has taken a chunk out of me and there is always a little downer at some stage, but I hope it comes at 7pm on Sunday night just after I slip a jacket on. I have zero expectations. I have never pitched up to the Masters on a Tuesday afternoon – I would never have done as little preparation.
“As confident as I feel going into this week, I believe I’m unprepared, so let’s see if that unpreparedness works in my favour.
“Sometimes we’ve seen that in the past with players. Hopefully it can work out well this week.”