Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ZACH TO THE FUTURE FOR RORY
conservatively, taking the big numbers out of play, a few more three-quarter shots, not hitting everything flat-out. That’s the sort of golfer I want to be going forward.”
Mcilroy will celebrate the unwanted 10th anniversary of his final-round Augusta meltdown this year as he makes a seventh bid to complete his career Grand Slam.
He added: “I’ve played
Rory Mcilroy’s record at Augusta, a bunch of really good
chasing the career Grand Slam rounds on this course,
after his 2014 USPGA win but just not four in a
Place Score 1 2 3 4 row. If I can get my head 2020 T5 -11 75 66 67 69 in the right place and 2019 T21 -5 73 75 71 68
feel like my game’s
2018 T5 -9 69 71 65 74
where it needs to be, I 2017 T7 -3 72 73 71 69
have no doubt I can put 2016 T10 +1 70 71 77 71
it all together.”
2015 4 -12 71 71 68 66
The world No.12 also revealed he visited the convalescing Tiger Woods in his Florida home last month.
“I spent a couple of hours with him which is nice,” he said. “I think myself, JT, Rickie, DJ, Brooks, all those guys there, we have a responsibility to keep his spirits up and get him back out here.”
RORY MCILROY will copy Zach Johnson with a conservative approach and a revamped swing in a bid to end his Masters hoodoo.
The four-time Major winner started working with Yorkshireman Pete Cowen last month after admitting he had lost his game trying to copy big-hitting Bryson Dechambeau.
And now the Northern Irishman, 31, who has always played aggressive golf, is turning to a very different role model in Johnson, who famously laid up on the par fives when he triumphed at Augusta in 2007.
“I’ve made some pretty good strides over the last few weeks and it’s only a start,” said Mcilroy (below, yesterday).
“I am trying to see the big picture here. I have been struggling with my swing, I am obviously focused on this week but it is bigger than that and I am looking beyond that.
“It is a journey to try and get back to playing the game the way I know I can play the game.
“And I’m not saying I’m going to be a Zach Johnson and I’m going to wedge it like him for the rest of my career, but if I can get a little bit closer to being like Zach, then I’ll be very happy.
“And I think being a little more in control of what I do, playing a little more