“Honestly, I haven’t thought much about Augusta.”
Rory McIlroy uttered those words last week ahead of his return to the PGA Tour after an unscheduled break with the Masters looming. Fake news was in full effect in Mexico.
There's just one month before the, arguably, most famous golf tournament in world golf, and while many will not offer total absolution to the four-time major winner for playing a round of golf with the king of fabrication, Donald Trump, no one within the game would begrudge McIlroy of taking the simple liberty of trying to keep his public persona away from all things Masters-related.
Of course, there is nothing more that McIlroy wants to achieve, in the short term at least, than to drape that coveted Green Jacket around his broad shoulders, to join a very elite group of golfers who have completed the four-major grand slam, having already secured the US Open, The Open and the PGA Championship, twice.
Logic would dictate that it is merely a matter of when, not if, McIlroy will take the title at Augusta but whether he will have played enough competitive golf ahead of this year’s event remains to be seen.
But the signs are good.
From the brief amount that we have seen this year from the Holywood native, who was forced out of action due to that fractured rib that he picked up in January, McIlroy’s game looks in very good shape.
His enforced change of clubs from Nike may prove a real game-changer as McIlroy’s main sponsor’s decision to step away from the club manufacturing business allowed the world number three to spend his pre-season testing and fine-tuning a new range of clubs in his bag.
Without the pressure of a brand sponsor, McIlroy has opted for Callaway woods and irons, while the most important shift of sticks may come down to the putter as the 27-year-old wasted no time resurrecting his old Scotty Cameron favourite before moving to a new Odyssey edition, which may prove vital around the Masters track, which is generally won or lost on the putting abilities atop the leaderboard.
Lowry Makes Up The Irish Contingent
As things stand, a month out from the first major of the year, Shane Lowry is the only other Irish invitee to this year’s showpiece, while players like Graeme McDowell, Seamus Power, Padraig Harrington and Paul Dunne would need to do something spectacular over the coming weeks to make the trip up Magnolia Lane.
Lowry, of course, has made a real impact Stateside over the past 18 months, going from a lad who kept getting called the wrong name by US commentators – from Stephen Lowry to Shane McLowry – to the leading golfer on the final day at the US Open; the Clara man eventually finishing runner-up.
The lure of the Ryder Cup may have distracted Lowry last summer as his form fell away throughout his unsuccessful bid to make it onto the European Team, but the Offaly man will certainly relish the chance to get in the mix at Augusta.
Lowry is now a verified big hitter from the tee and his long and medium-iron ball-striking is exceptional, while his short game is, without doubt, one of the most aesthetic on tour, as his natural rhythm and visualisation is a joy to behold.
But this is only Lowry’s third visit to the famous tournament and most golfers will insist that they get better around the track every year that they return to Augusta.
A tie for 39th last year was a major improvement on Lowry’s previous visit, where he missed the cut, so this year expect the former Irish Open winner to be targeting a top 20 finish.
And while Lowry’s driving and short game is certainly at a level to get him into contention on a Sunday of another major, perhaps his putting and knowledge of these incredibly tough greens may hold him back for another year or two at least.
Spieth The Man To Beat in Augusta
Speaking of putting, there is no surprise who the bookmakers’ favourite is to land this year’s title with Jordan Spieth ranked ahead of the field a month out from the event.
The Texan, who is widely regarded as the best putter in the game, should really be looking to make it a hat-trick of titles this year but for an uncharacteristic and astonishing meltdown on the back nine at last year’s event.
The 2015 champion immediately found a home from home at Augusta National, winning the event at only his second attempt – he finished second a year earlier in his maiden effort – and then cruised clear of the field and remained atop the leaderboard for the first three days and front nine on Sunday.
Leading by five strokes heading down the 10th fairway, Spieth proceeded to bogey consecutive holes before it all came crumbling down as he chunked two balls into the water at the notorious par three 12th, eventually carding a quadruple bogey and handing the jacket both metaphorically and physically to champion Danny Willett.
Remarkably, Willett is nowhere to be seen in the betting for this year’s event, such has been his form over the past 11 months, with the rest of the major money likely to go on current world number one Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, McIlroy and the in-form Hideki Matsuyama.
Strong arguments can be made for all four of those players, alongside Spieth, to secure this year’s title with Johnson in particular looking immense, following another victory at the WGC event in Mexico last weekend.
Two-time Green Jacket winner Bubba Watson’s length off the tee made a mockery of some of the par fives around Augusta over the past few years and Johnson looks set to replicate that this year, especially now that his short game is as finely tunes as the best in the business.
Matsuyama is many experts’ tip to secure a major this year having rocketed up the world rankings with a string of victories over the past year.
The Japanese star would have secured a couple more tournaments in recent times had he got his putter firing, and that aspect of his game, coupled with the fact that he has possibly played too much golf over the past few months, could rule him out of the final reckoning next month.
Big Phil Looking to Land Sixth Major
Of course, there are certainly many more to come out of that top 20-30 in the betting stakes and perhaps look no further than wily old Phil Mickelson, who is looking to add a fourth Jacket to his illustrious collection of career honours.
Lefty is currently working as hard as he ever has on his game and while the erratic side will certainly be in full view again this year, his knowledge and creativity could see him feature right to the end.
And keep an eye on a couple of young Englishmen, who are certainly capable of claiming a top ten, or better, finish.
Tyrrell Hatton’s consistency has seen the 25-year-old break into the world’s top 20 and has gone toe to toe with some of the best players in the world in recent weeks, while Matthew Fitzpatrick certainly has the game for Augusta and enjoyed some excellent stats around the famous course last year, including superb greens in regulation numbers.
Fitzpatrick’s putter finally got going on the back nine last year as he carded four birdies on the final five holes to post a final-round 67 and finish in a tie for seventh place, one shot clear of McIlroy who ended the tournament in a share for tenth.
So while McIlroy’s absence in recent weeks has kept him flying under the radar to a certain extent this year, expect the questions and focus to ramp up over the coming weeks.
Of course, the 2016 Irish Open winner’s comments in Mexico were a way of keeping that spotlight a bit blurry for another week or so as he spoke more about his injury and recovery.
That injury looked nowhere to be seen in Mexico as he played some of his trademark excellent golf, leading at the halfway stage, so perhaps that enforced break may come to his advantage in the white hot atmosphere of Augusta National.
And it would appear that McIlroy might agree, stating “hopefully it’s a blessing in disguise.”
The Masters takes place at Augusta National from 6-9 April. Follow four days’ action here on RTE.ie with live text commentary, facts and features throughout.
