18 Rory McIlroy talking points that explain how he may fare at the Masters | Golf | Sport

Rory McIlroy is gearing up for his 17th crack at the Masters this week, which also marks his eleventh attempt to round off his career Grand Slam. The world No. 2 pocketed his third different Major title at the Open in 2014 and followed up with a second PGA Championship win the very next month.

However, the Northern Irish golfer, who will be celebrating his 36th birthday soon, hasn’t expanded his Major collection beyond four since then. His nearest miss came when he placed as runner-up to the current world No.1 Scottie Scheffler in last year’s tournament. Is 2025 set to be his moment of triumph in Augusta?

Presenting the top nine – nine compelling arguments why Rory McIlroy could carry off the green jacket on Sunday:

One – Current Hot Streak.

McIlroy is hitting peak performance levels, having clinched two victories already — at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship — setting a confident tone ahead of Augusta.

Two – McIlroy’s Progression.

Even without showcasing his A-game, he conquered Sawgrass. “That’s an evolution of Rory McIlroy,” claimed his former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley. “That’s different from what we’ve seen before.”

Three – Competition Concerns.

Notably, his expected contenders are off their game. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler grappled with a surprise hand injury delaying his season’s start and currently stands without a win. Meanwhile, Open victor Xander Schauffele was out for eight weeks due to a rib injury, and Collin Morikawa slipped up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Four – Resilience.

McIlroy has consistently found himself in contention. He was joint leader after the first round of last year’s US Open, thanks to an impressive opening score of 65. He was once again leading with just four holes left, but two missed short putts saw him finish a stroke behind Bryson DeChambeau.

Five – Work away from the course.

Away from the course, McIlroy has been working with mind coach Bob Rotella, aiming to alleviate the pressure of chasing his first Green Jacket. “I know that Bob Rotella has been a huge influence on him in the last 18 months, and I think he’ll have him very well prepared now,” commented McGinley. “This is not the first rodeo going into the Masters working together.”

Six – Differences to last year.

In contrast to last year, McIlroy isn’t scrambling to find his form. Last year, he made a last-minute trip to Las Vegas for an emergency short-iron clinic with Butch Harmon before the Masters.

This time around, he worked with Pete Cowen ahead of the first Major of 2021. Just last week, the world No.2 was training with his long-term coach Michael Bannon in Florida.

Seven – Short game improvements.

Improvements in McIlroy’s short game are evident. His short-iron play has never quite matched his formidable driving skills.

However, the 9-iron shot to the 17th green during The Players’ playoff last month demonstrated lessons learned from Harmon, according to the American. “It was just perfect,” praised the Sky Sport analyst. “That is really what I worked on with him. The rest of his game was fine. He has gone on and done the work himself and he has done a good job.”

Eight – Tee shots.

McIlroy’s powerful drives are a significant advantage on Augusta’s four par-5s. In his 16 Masters appearances, he has accumulated an impressive total of 97-under-par on these holes.

Nine – Domestic Bliss.

McIlroy’s personal life has stabilised. Prior to last year’s USPG, McIlroy announced his separation from his American wife Erica, but they reconciled the following month.

Stoll was seen at tournaments towards the end of the year, including with their daughter Poppy at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Despite leading by four shots going into the final round in 2011, McIlroy is yet to clinch the title that seemed destined for him. Here are nine reasons why his Masters jinx may continue.

One – Haunting Memories.

Augusta is the only Major played on the same course annually. This means McIlroy is forced to confront his past near misses each time he returns to Georgia.

The Ulsterman, who hit a disastrous snap hook off the 10th tee in 2011, has confessed to dealing with Masters “scar tissue”. “It brings out the worst golf in Rory annually that we see almost every year,” commented Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee.

Two – The Quest for Glory.

McIlroy is eager to join the exclusive club of career Grand Slam winners. Only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won all four modern Majors.

Even legends like Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Sir Nick Faldo never achieved this feat.

However, Butch Harmon commented: “He wants it so bad, he just has to relax when he gets there,” the American observed. “It got to him last year – you could see it in his demeanour and how quickly he walked. Even in his warm-up, things weren’t as calmed down.

Three – Nerves.

McIlroy confessed that he had to manage his nerves before securing his playoff victory at The Players. He had a three-shot lead with six shots remaining in the weather-delayed final round, only to falter and let JJ Spaun catch up. The following morning, he confidently hit his opening drive on the 16th but later admitted: “It was stressful. I’m super happy, super proud to win this event for a second time. Honestly, standing over that tee shot on 16 this morning is the most nervous I’ve been in a long time.”

At Augusta, he tends to start slowly. The only two occasions he has scored under 70 in the first round – 2011 and 2018 – he has contended for the title.

Four – History.

History is not on his side now. Three of the career Grand Slammers – Gene Sarazen (1935), Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods (2000) – accomplished the feat at their first attempt after winning their third major. Woods achieved it at the St Andrews Open aged 24, just a month after winning the US Open. Jack Nicklaus (1966) and Gary Player (1965) both triumphed at their third attempt.

World No.2 McIlroy is making his 11th attempt to win the Masters a month before turning 36. Nicklaus, who was 26 when he won his fourth different Major, cautioned last year: “As he gets older, it gets tougher.”

Five – Scheffler’s strong case.

Despite a slow start to the season due to a hand injury sustained while making pasta, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler remains the favourite to claim the Masters title, thanks to a blistering final round 62 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

Six – A wealth of challengers.

The competition is fierce, with 13 different players having secured Major victories since the beginning of 2022. Only Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Jon Rahm have managed to win twice. Notably, Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood impressed with top-three finishes at Augusta last year.

Seven – LIV Golf’s hunger for success.

A dozen LIV Golf players will take to the field, driven by the desire to outdo their PGA Tour rivals and, for some, bolster their chances of being selected for the Ryder Cup in September. Butch Harmon observed: “They are not going to get the points that the other guys are going to get because LIV events don’t count towards qualfication.

“I think how they play in the next four Majors will really dictate whether they are picked or not.”

Eight – Inconsistent Augusta form.

McIlroy’s dominance on Augusta’s par-5s is notable, but his performance on the course’s other holes has been less impressive. He is 54-over par on the 10 par-4s and 10-over par on the four par-3s.

Nine – Lessons from past mistakes.

McIlroy had a tumultuous run in last year’s Majors, with moments of promise swiftly undermined by missteps. Heading into the US PGA at Valhalla in Kentucky – the site of his last Major victory back in 2014 – he was in high spirits after winning his final event before the major, remarking that “the stars are aligning”.

However, life threw a curveball as McIlroy revealed the next day that he was getting divorced, an announcement that preceded a tied for 12th finish. In a dramatic turn at the US Open, McIlroy faltered in the closing stages; despite leading with just four holes remaining, he bogeyed three of them.

This included missed putts from short range on the 16th and 18th holes – a surprising contrast to his flawless record from within five feet over the first 69 holes, only to succumb to the pressure in the tense final moments.