If Rory McIlroy is to reach his holy grail by donning a Green Jacket next month, it will not all be on account of serious and intensive work.
McIlroy took to Augusta National last week, playing 36 holes in the company of his father and luminaries from the worlds of high finance and the NFL. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, quarterbacks with five Super Bowl wins between them, were on the premises.
Far from using the trip as a homework exercise for the Masters, McIlroy showed the difference between himself and Tiger Woods in his pomp.The current world number one relishes any opportunity to relax; even on a golf course.
“It was 100 per cent fun, 0 per cent serious,” said McIlroy. “I didn’t hit any extra balls. I played one ball the whole time. I really wanted to go and enjoy it with my dad, that was what the whole thing was about. There were four fathers and sons and we had a great time.
“There was just the enjoyment of going and playing a golf course like that with my dad, being in good company with all the good people for a couple of days and drinking some good wine out of their wine cellar. I had a really good time and it’s nice to feel relaxed in there for a change and not feel on edge the whole time.”
McIlroy joked that after finding himself in Augusta’s newly constructed gym alongside Messrs Brady and Manning, he realised it was “time to leave”. Perhaps Gerry, McIlroy snr, learned more than his son. “Now he appreciates what I go through one week a year whenever I come off the course and he says: ‘Why did you do that on six?’ or: ‘Why did you go there on 14?’ It’s not that easy. Now he appreciates what it’s like.”
Not that McIlroy is treating his Masters buildup lightly. During the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, his final event pre-Augusta, he will dine with the seven-time Major champion. He held talks with Jack Nicklaus last weekend and, in a notable change of plan, McIlroy flew out his coach, Michael Bannon, to Florida after a frustrating WGC-Cadillac Championship.
“The last five days have been really good, working with Michael just one-on-one, no one else around,” the 25-year-old said. “I am feeling much better about my game now than I was walking off Doral, 10 days ago.”
American threats
Jordan Spieth’s playoff win at the Valspar Championship intensified the notion that he and Patrick Reed have upstaged Rickie Fowler as American threats to McIlroy. It is a challenge the Northern Irishman seems to welcome.
“It is great to see,” McIlroy said. “Patrick has already won this year, Jordan had a phenomenal time last year and has won again. It’s great. It’s a more youthful sport than it used to be. You see younger guys coming up and coming through. They went on Tour and became more confident and feel like they can do it each and every week, so that is great to see.”
And what of Woods? McIlroy said: “If he feels ready to play and he does play, then he knows what to do when there. Someone that’s won the Masters four times? I think he’s pretty comfortable in that place.” Guardian Service
