In Masters title quest, McIlroy alters approach
“I feel like I’ve learned the balance of this course over the years.” Rory McIlroy, who needs a win in the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam
In his quest to win a green jacket and complete golf ’s career Grand Slam, Rory McIlroy has changed the blueprint.
The world No. 3 won’t play in the Par-3 Contest the day before Thursday’s start of the 80th Masters. For the first time in his career, there were no reconnaissance trips to Augusta National Golf Club this year. He added two tournaments to his schedule.
And he’s treating practice rounds more like tournament action this week between the Georgia pines.
“I knew as soon as this tournament finished last year that I was going to prepare maybe a little bit differently for it this year,” said McIlroy, who is making his eighth appearance in the Masters.
While Augusta National is tailor-made for McIlroy’s power game, soft-landing irons and touch around and on the greens, the four-time major champion has yet to win a green jacket. So he’s taking a more relaxed approach, purposely decreasing his work time and reducing stress as much as possible a year after “a lot of eyeballs were on me.”
For instance, he isn’t taking extra shots during practice rounds and is instead playing matches with his partners as if the tournament has started, playing balls out of the trees, off the pine straw and from fairway bunkers. He also said he wanted to change things up and skip the Par-3 Contest “and maybe just get away from the spotlight a little bit.”
“I really feel like I play my best golf when I’m more relaxed, when I’m having fun out there and I’m not, as you said, not overdoing it, not overthinking it,” McIlroy said. “So very happy with where the game is and really just looking forward to getting going on Thursday and really not trying to put too much emphasis on it or too much pressure on myself. Just try and go out and really enjoy it.”
McIlroy knows he’s trending in the right direction at Augusta. He tied for 40th in 2012, for 25th in 2013 and for eighth in 2014 and finished fourth in 2015.
Last year, he took care of one big piece of the Masters puzzle — the par-5s. McIlroy took apart the par-5s, playing them in 14 under for the tournament with four pars, 10 birdies and two eagles. Those holes can be a welcome tonic if things are off kilter.
“Year after year that I’ve started coming back here, I’ve started to realize that this is probably one of the courses that we play all year that you can be super aggressive on and take it at pins, because these greens are big greens, but they are in four or five different sections, and you’re really just trying to get it in that certain section,” McIlroy said. “You have to be aggressive in some shots, but others you know par is a good score and you move on. I feel like I’ve learned the balance of this course over the years with that.”
Now he just has to get rid of the dreaded 40s.
There was last year’s 40 on the front nine in the second round. A 40 on the back nine in the second round in 2014. A 42 on the back nine in the third round in 2013. A 42 on the front nine in the third round in 2012. And there was the 43 on his final nine holes in 2011 when he imploded, going from the 54-hole lead by four to a tie for 15th.
McIlroy is keenly aware he needs to get off to a good start. His week got off to a good start when he made an ace Monday on the 16th hole using a 7-iron.
“It’s all about going out there over the next four days and executing the shots the way I need to and being mentally strong,” he said. “I probably feel a little bit more subdued going in this time because I haven’t had the win this year.
“But I feel like my game is right there, so I feel good.”