Masters bigger than Open, says Mcilroy

It might be an interesting conversation the next time Rory Mcilroy bumps into the R&A hierarchy. The Ulsterman yesterday declared the Masters “the biggest tournament in the world”, relegating the Open to the lower levels of the podium.

“The Masters has now become the biggest golf tournament in the world and I’m comfortable saying that,” he said. “I don’t care about the US Open or The Open, it is the biggest golf tournament in the world, the most amount of eyeballs, the most amount of hype, everything is at Augusta. For me it’s the most special tournament that we play and it’s the one everyone desperately wants to win.”

Of course, it is also the only major Mcilroy has yet to lift. Last month he had the career grand slam firmly in his sights, but slipped to a tie for fifth. He remained bullish afterwards, maintaining it had been “a positive week”, but as he prepared to make his return for today’s first round at the Wells Fargo Championship, he admitted that he struggled in the weeks following, with his wife Erica finally persuading him to leave their Florida house.

“It was just the quiet moments when you’re staring off into the distance and it got to the point where I needed to see a bit of daylight,” Mcilroy said. “I didn’t give a good account of myself on that final day. Under the pressure of chasing Patrick [Reed, the eventual champion] – it never clicked. On the first tee, the Augusta members were saying, ‘We’d love to have dinner with you tonight’. And I said, ‘Don’t be ordering me anything just yet …’”

Mcilroy is the favourite to win at Quail Hollow, the Charlotte course where he enjoyed his first success in the United States and where he has posted six top-10s in eight appearances. However, he flopped when the USPGA was hosted there last August, with a tie for 22nd.

Justin Thomas won that week and, should he finish inside the top 12, he will replace the absent Dustin Johnson as world No 1. Tiger Woods makes his first start since Augusta.