AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Rory McIlroy paused under a towering Atlanta pine just off the 14th eco-friendly, mimicking a swing and groing through some of the finer points of Augusta National with practice partner Ian Woosnam .
Good thinking.
Woosnam, after all, has among those coveted green jackets.
McIlroy needs one to join an extremely exclusive club.
” You have to embrace and relish the chance that is put in front of a person, ” he said, ” plus go out and grab it. ”
Funny thing, this looked like the Masters would be the initial major championship of McIlroy’ s i9000 career. In 2011, riding the buzz as the game’ s brightest brand new star, he led after each one of the first three rounds and had been still out front making the particular turn Sunday.
After that, in one of the greatest collapses in main championship history, he played the last nine holes at 7 to shoot 80.
During the time, it felt like his world experienced collapsed.
Looking back again, he considers it a level in his career.
” I feel like it made me a much better player, I feel like it made us a better person, ” said McIlroy, who is among many favorites within the loaded Masters field after their victory a couple of weeks ago at Bay Slope. ” It took me a while to obtain over it, but I knew easily looked at the big picture it would function me well in the long run. And I don’ t think I would have had position I’ ve had so far if this wasn’ t for that day. ”
A few months later, this individual won the U. S. Open up in a runaway. The next year, this individual added a PGA Championship in order to his resume. In 2014, he or she captured two more majors in the British Open and the PGA.
Only the Masters is stopping him from joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods , Gary Player, Ben Hogan plus Gene Sarazen with a career Great Slam.
” I realize a win here and what that could mean and where that would place me in history alongside some of the greatest which have ever played this game, ” McIlroy said. ” But possess I to try and clear my head of this come Thursday morning and head out and play good golf, strike good golf shots, have great course management, hole putts. If you that enough times, hopefully that will score on Sunday evening’ s i9000 the lowest out of all 87 or even 88 competitors that are here so you walk away with something that you’ lmost all have for the rest of your life. ”
McIlroy was clearly inside a relaxed mood as played the rear nine late Tuesday afternoon along with Woosnam, the 1991 Masters champ, and Branden Grace – after many patrons had already going home for the day.
Prior to teeing off at the 14th, McIlroy posed for a picture with a son clad in burnt orange through head to toe, whose father was adamant ” he’ s your greatest fan. ” Someone murmured through afar, ” He said exactly the same thing when Rickie Fowler came by means of, ” and certainly the child was dressed in attire more appropriate in order to Fowler’ s fashion sense.
As McIlroy headed to the fifteenth tee, a man asked, ” Am i able to shake your hand? ” McIlroy held right on walking but shouted back again, ” I’ ll get you upon my way back. ” The consumer looked a bit skeptical, but McIlroy was true to his word right after hitting a booming drive. He or she found the man along the ropes, veered off for a quick handshake, plus headed on down the fairway, shrinking in size and smaller before he vanished over the horizon.
” All it takes is one guy to achieve that, and you’ ve got the fan for life, ” another consumer said, smiling approvingly.
If anything, McIlroy feels like he’ s given this place a little a lot of respect the last few years. He’ t certainly played well, finishing within the top 10 the last four years, yet he seemed to get a little as well comfortable settling for pars rather than going for birdies.
That left him facing a big debt by the time he got to the weekend break
” Sometimes a person plod away and you make your own pars and think you’ lso are doing OK, but you look at the panel and you might be seven or 8 back (because) someone’ s obtained off to a hot start, ” McIlroy said.
” I don’ t think that may happen this week, ” he added with confidence.
McIlroy is very conscious of the history around this place.
Hogan and Sam Snead both won their first Experts on their 10th try. This is McIlroy’ s 10th appearance.
Arnold Palmer was 28 whenever he captured his first eco-friendly jacket. McIlroy won’ t convert 29 until next month.
” I mean, there’ s plenty of different numbers you could throw close to, ” he said. ” Yet it’ s all really worthless unless you go out there and actually get it done. ”
McIlroy views no reason why this Masters can’ t be the one that pushes your pet into elite company.
” I never come in right here thinking I’ ve served our time and this is my change – because it’ s by no means your turn. You have to go out and obtain it, ” he said.
” I’ m right here this week to earn it all. ”
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