McILROY AT THE MASTERS
RORY McILROY has waited nine long years to erase the memory of his 2011 Masters meltdown.
But a few more months – and not giving a **** – could now propel him to a Green Jacket and a career Grand Slam.
The world No.1 would have teed up as favourite for the first Major of the season at Augusta tomorrow.
But the revamped golf schedule sees the Masters moved to the final event in November after a run of tournaments that includes the US Open and Ryder Cup back-toback in September.
Ever since the 21-yearold McIlroy blew a four-shot lead in the final round in 2011, Augusta has posed a special mental challenge for him. And the pressure has only increased since his 2014 Open triumph left the Masters as the only Major not on his glittering CV.
Chubby Chandler,
McIlroy’s manager in 2011, said: “I always think it is Rory’s year at Augusta because of the way he plays and the way the course sets up. I still think he will win it. His game is so suited to Augusta, It is suited to around 300 other courses as well but it is so suited to Augusta. He is bound to win it one day.
“And if it is staged in November this year, it could help him because he won’t have eight months to think about it and get asked about it all the time.
“This end of season will be very different because they are going to go from one big tournament to the next, week after week after week. You will see someone have a golden month and it could be Rory.”
McIlroy bounced back in 2011 to win the US Open by eight shots two months later. “Rory took it amazingly well – he took it on the chin,” Chandler (above) recalled.
The 30-year-old proved he is capable of hot streaks with three consecutive wins in his golden summer of 2014, including two Majors, but will have gone six years without another big title by the time of the rescheduled US PGA in August.
The Ulsterman has sought a new psychological approach to golf and life using self-help books.
A favourite, given to the European Ryder Cup wives in 2018, is Mark Manson’s ‘The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A **** : A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A Good Life’.
“I used to let what I shot influence who I was or my mood,” McIlroy admitted. “Sometimes I care too much about too many things. With this book, it’s getting happiness from the simple things in life.”
US PGA Harding Park, San Francisco, Aug 6-9
US Open Winged Foot, New York, Sept 17-20
Ryder Cup Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, Sept 25-27
Augusta, Georgia, November 12-15