Rory McIlroy needs to win The Masters to complete the career Grand Slam; McIlroy last won a major in 2014 and is without a top-15 finish on the PGA Tour this season; Watch The Masters live from April 11-14 on Sky Sports Golf.
Rory McIlroy’s performance at the beginning of the season on the PGA Tour has been lackluster. However, some may argue that his recent string of disappointing results could potentially alleviate some of the pressure on him as he aims to achieve golf’s career Grand Slam.
McIlroy had a strong beginning to 2024 on the DP World Tour, coming in second place at the Dubai Invitational and then going on to retain his championship title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. However, he has not been able to achieve the same level of success after shifting his attention to the PGA Tour.
In his recent performances, the world No 2 has faced some challenges, finishing tied-66th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and failing to secure a top-20 position in his last four PGA Tour starts. As a result, Scottie Scheffler has extended his lead at the top of the world rankings after impressive victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players.
McIlroy has been keeping a busy schedule this early season, determined to break his major drought. In his pursuit of completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters, the Northern Irishman has decided to participate in the Valero Texas Open this week.
Despite missing two of his last three cuts at Augusta National, the 34-year-old remains one of the top contenders for a long-awaited fifth major title next week. The Sky Sports Golf podcast panel has been discussing the potential impact of his recent poor form.
“His standards have dropped significantly, considering his strong start to the year,” commented Gary Murphy, a former DP World Tour player, on the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “In his last five starts, he hasn’t managed to secure a spot within the top-15, so his recent performances have been lackluster.”
I don’t have any issues with it, and I would strongly dislike it if McIlroy was performing like Scottie Scheffler right now, as I believe the pressure would be incredibly intense. Participating in the Valero Texas Open this week is a positive move, and I prefer to see him arrive at Augusta National as close to the tournament as feasible.
I’m optimistic that he will discover his rhythm this week and have a satisfactory performance. If he emerges victorious, it would be advantageous since he has previously triumphed just before winning a major, so it won’t disrupt his momentum.
We’ve all been in tournaments searching for something, and it seems like he’s on the same quest. Although his current form may not be ideal, it doesn’t bother him much. He’s the type of player who can quickly turn things around and discover a breakthrough in his swing this week. If he does, he could ride that momentum for a month or even six weeks.
Should McIlroy make a late arrival?
Since winning the PGA Championship in 2014, McIlroy has achieved an impressive 20 top-ten finishes in majors. In fact, he has been on fire lately, securing seven top-ten finishes in his last eight major starts, which is more than any other player during the same period. Although he hasn’t won The Masters yet, his best performance came in 2022 when he finished as the runner-up.
As we approach the opening major of the year, McIlroy is expected to be a hot topic in the press. Richard McEvoy, a former DP World Tour player, believes that McIlroy should avoid the media to increase his chances of finally clinching a Masters victory.
McEvoy expressed his belief that having lower expectations on him could be beneficial. He praised Scheffler for his quiet and unassuming nature, highlighting that he doesn’t receive the same level of recognition and expectations from the press.
Despite this, McEvoy acknowledged that the press will undoubtedly focus on Rory due to his pursuit of the career Grand Slam. He advised Rory to follow a specific routine, such as arriving on Tuesday afternoon, playing a few holes on Wednesday, and avoiding the press as much as possible.
It would definitely benefit him if he arrived late and avoided speaking to the media excessively. They will surely bombard him with questions about his victory there, which will only increase the pressure. Hopefully, he can prioritize himself a bit more and simply focus on his own agenda when he shows up.
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