WORLD No1 TO STAY BUSY AHEAD OF SLAM ATTEMPT
RORY McILROY will play four tournaments before the Masters in order to keep his mind off the first Major of the season.
The world No1 will again bid to complete a career Grand Slam in Georgia next month.
But, before that, McIlroy is to tee it up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida today, The Players Championship, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and the Texas Open.
Only five players have won all four Majors, with the Northern Irishman recording five top-10 finishes in the last six years without winning the Green Jacket.
Tiger Woods, who won the Masters last year, says he starts preparing for the event six months before.
McIlroy, however, said: “I think it’s different for everyone. What I’ve realised is I can’t make things too big in my head.
“So, if I started to gear up for Augusta in January, by the time Augusta came around in April my head would be absolutely fried. I’ve got four tournaments to play between now and then and my top priority are those four tournaments.
“I don’t think anything trumps execution in this game, so it’s just about getting in good form. “Playing enough competitive rounds, shooting good scores, seeing shots.
“It’s not as if I’m out on the course thinking, ‘OK, this is the fifth hole at Augusta, this is the tee shot I need’.
“Some guys might do that, I’m not sure, but for me if I’m playing good golf, that’s the most important thing.” Arnold Palmer Invitational favourite McIlroy, who ended an 18-month title drought at Bay Hill in 2018, is the first big-name player to come out against the proposed new Premier Golf
League. But he still wants smaller fields and fewer events on the PGA and European Tours.
“Being a golf fan these days it can get quite exhausting following so many different tournaments, different tours,” he said.
“There are so many tournaments and there might be an over-saturation of golf in a way.”
Fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell is up to world No50 after his win at the Saudi International last month and is targeting a Ryder Cup return in September.
“I missed the last two but I’ve certainly put myself back on the radar this year,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of golf to play, four Major championships ahead, but I would love to be at Whistling Straits.”