Duval puts the boot into Rory

FORMER world No 1 David Duval believes Tiger Woods has more chance of winning next month’s Masters than Rory McIlroy. Duval, the 2001 Open champion, was musing about which player was closest to playing great golf again and concluded that it was not McIlroy (below).

‘It’s obvious,’ he responded, as if to emphasise he does not even think it a close call. Duval reckons McIlroy’s putting is no better than average and added: ‘His putting continues to put pressure on his iron game.

‘Until he figures that out and becomes a little better and more consistent on the greens, it could do what it’s doing right now, which is ruining other parts of his game.

‘He’s struggling, and you have to keep forcing it closer and closer to the hole. You’re going to miss shots. You’re going to be in bad spots. That’s partly what’s happening now.’ The American’s fellow US Golf Channel analyst, Brandel Chamblee, agreed. ‘Rory’s iron play has never been worse,’ he said.

‘Probably the most important factor in winning at Augusta is putting yourself in the right places to putt. He’s completely out of sorts. It’s not the Rory who won four majors.’

If ever McIlroy was looking for a motivating article to stick on the wall, he could hardly do better.

The 28-year-old Northern Irishman will play the Valspar Championship in Tampa, Florida, next week — the first of three consecutive events that form his competitive preparations before Augusta on April 5.

McIlroy’s first three events of 2018 in America were unimpressive — a missed cut at Pebble Beach then a tied 20th finish in Los Angeles and tied 59th in the Honda Classic. Before that he had two top-three finishes in the Middle East.

Woods, 42, has shown how quickly opinions can change. Two weeks ago, he was ridiculed for thinking he could be a Ryder Cup player again. Then came his startling display at last week’s Honda. How McIlroy could do with something similar in Tampa.