Georgia on minds of two masters

The Masters should have been the first major Rory McIlroy won. Now it is the only one he is missing.

Augusta National was thought to be the domain of Tiger Woods when he won four green jackets before turning 30. Now he is 43, with eight surgeries behind him, so far removed from his last Masters victory the club has changed chairmen twice since he last won 14 years ago.

McIlroy and Woods are the central figures at the 83rd Masters, which starts on April 11. They share the stage with a cast of characters that gets deeper and stronger every year, so tough that 23 of the last 25 major champions were among the top 25 in the world ranking.

One is looking to join the most elite group in golf by capturing the final leg of the career Grand Slam.

The other is looking to recapture glory on a course where his red shirt was blazing among the azaleas, dogwoods and all the colours of spring in Augusta.

“I’m right there where I need to be,” Woods said this week. “I’ve become a little bit more consistent with my play, and I think that everything is headed on track toward April.”

What about McIlroy. Is he excited? Hard to tell.

McIlroy has spent the last year reading books on life and success, working more on his attitude than his golf game.

“I would have said a couple of years ago, ‘I need to win a Masters, I need a green jacket,’ where now it’s, ‘I want to win it.’ And I’d love to win it,” he said.

“But if I don’t, I’m okay. Maybe some people will say that I’m not motivated enough.

“Believe me, I am motivated to make the most of what I have and to put my name among some of the greats of our game.”