Here at the Masters this week, Rory McIlroy made a joke about wanting to control nothing but himself.
At Augusta National, 34-year-old McIlroy will try to win the career grand slam ten times.
The Northern Irishman had his best finish of the season on the PGA Tour heading into the first major of the year.
At the TPC San Antonio Valero Texas Open, McIlroy placed third alone.
McIlroy told reporters, “I definitely feel like I’m in a better place than I was a few weeks ago.”
He was making reference to the fact that his performance and game have been a bit of a mixed bag since he emerged victorious in Dubai at the beginning of the year.
Associated:
Regarding Rory McIlroy, Sir Nick Faldo said, “We all cringe when he stands up there with a wedge.”
Butch Harmon: “Absolute genius,” I ensured McIlroy’s coach was “okay” with the pre-Masters meeting. Harmon would have informed McIlroy that he would win the Masters.
McIlroy, Rory
In his first PGA Tour start of 2024, Rory McIlroy tied for 66th place at the washed-out AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
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And until last week, he had not finished in the top ten.
After making a mistake with his irons, McIlroy turned to Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods’ former instructor, for assistance.
Harmon told us about what transpired when GolfMagic had the chance to speak with him lately.
“For me, I’m always going to be able to hit good shots, it’s just how bad the bad ones are,” McIlroy stated.
McIlroy was asked by a reporter: “There’s so many uncontrollables and unknowns in this game, what do you want to be in control of next week?”
In jest, McIlroy said, “Myself.”
“Control of myself, control of my emotions, control of my thoughts,” he said.
“The physical control of things becomes much simpler and easier if I can manage those.
Yes, but to me, the focus of next week is self-control—maintaining your own discipline and remaining in charge of the things under your control. “If I succeed in doing that, the other tasks will come.”
Rory McIlroy’s record at the Masters:
2009: T-20
2010: MC
2011: T-15
2012: T-40
2013: T-25
2014: T-8
2014: 4
2016: T-10
2017: T-7
2018: T-5
T-21 for 2019
2020: T-5
2021: –
2022: Two
2023: MC