Rory McIlroy takes ‘tons of positives’ from WGC Match Play as The Masters at Augusta edges closer | Golf News

Rory McIlroy gained six matches out of seven at WCG-Dell Applied sciences Match Play in promising indicators forward of The Masters; watch the primary main of the yr, from Augusta Nationwide, reside on Sky Sports activities from Thursday April 6 as McIlroy appears to finish profession Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy will quickly start his annual quest to win The Masters at Augusta Nationwide and develop into the sixth man in historical past to finish the profession Grand Slam.

Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Participant, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the gamers to have achieved that slice of historical past, with McIlroy tipped to affix them ever since – and possibly even earlier than – claiming The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July 2014.

That success added to his US Open triumph in 2011 and PGA Championship victory a yr later, whereas he scooped a second PGA crown in August 2014 for his fourth – and most up-to-date – main.

Glory at Augusta Nationwide has continued to elude McIlroy, although. Seven top-10 finishes, together with 5 in a row between 2014 and 2018, however no trophy because the Grand Slam wait goes on.

The Ulsterman’s finest end result was final yr, the place an excellent final-round 64 – which included a exceptional hole-out from a greenside bunker on the 18th – propelled him into second place and three pictures behind winner Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy’s purpose over the Easter weekend might be to go one higher at Augusta – and that appears eminently doable with the 33-year-old impressing en path to ending third on the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play with six wins out of seven.

“There are a ton of positives to remove. If you happen to had informed me I’d make it to the Sunday of the Match Play final week I’d have taken that,” mentioned McIlroy, shortly after beating world No 1 Scheffler within the third-place play-off.

“I’m perhaps going to go up [to Augusta National] for a day and fiddle. I went final week however do not assume there may be any hurt in going up once more after which it is about follow.

“I do not assume there may be tons to do. I believe my sport is in actually fine condition so simply hold it ticking over, work on the pictures I want for Augusta and away we go.”

McIlroy had been wayward together with his driver and funky with the putter whereas lacking the lower at The Gamers two weeks in the past.

He additionally mentioned he wished to get again to “being purely a golfer” having “sacrificed just a little little bit of time” whereas serving because the unofficial spokesperson within the sport’s battle with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Sequence.

He was actually again to being a golfer on the Match Play.

What was totally different for McIlroy?

Armed with a brand new putter and driver shaft, McIlroy gained his first 5 matches in Austin, defeating Scott Stallings, Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley within the round-robin group stage earlier than excelling within the opening two knockout rounds on Saturday as he noticed off Lucas Herbert and Xander Schauffele.

The four-time main champion carded 9 birdies in a blemish-free spherical in opposition to Herbert within the final 16, earlier than pipping Schauffele on the ultimate gap within the quarter-finals, sinking a 15-foot birdie look together with his recent putter to win a match he had by no means beforehand led in.

Dame Laura Davies informed Sky Sports activities Golf: “McIlroy holed a number of putts beneath strain to maintain these matches going [at the Match Play]. Rory is the one for me at The Masters.”

McIlroy had additionally reportedly been scorching with the brief stick throughout a follow spherical at Augusta in between The Gamers and the Match Play, with rumours swirling that he took simply 19 putts. They have been rumours the world No 3 selected to not play down.

“Yeah, look, I had two good days,” mentioned McIlroy. “We performed 54 holes in two days, and it was good. I used to be actually proud of the place my sport was. It was good to see that after struggling at The Gamers.”

McIlroy regarded poised to make the Match Play ultimate on Sunday when he was two up with three to play in opposition to Cameron Younger, just for his opponent to subsequently degree the match on the 18th after which win it on the primary additional gap as he transformed a putt from circa 10 toes and McIlroy missed from comparable vary.

The expectation coming into Sunday’s semi-finals was that McIlroy and Scheffler would meet later within the day they usually did – however within the third-place play-off quite than the ultimate, with defending champion Scheffler knocked out within the semi-finals by Sam Burns.

It meant Scheffler vs McIlroy had rather less driving on it, each when it comes to significance and financial achieve, however the reality the Northern Irishman secured a one-to-one win over Scheffler would nonetheless have been an actual fillip with Augusta in thoughts.

It might be no shock if Scheffler and McIlroy have been doing battle once more on Masters Sunday.

Scheffler attempting to assert the Inexperienced Jacket for the second yr in succession and McIlroy for the primary time in his profession. Scheffler aiming for a second main, McIlroy a fifth and the Grand Slam.

“I believe [Rory] is a greater participant now than he has been the final 10 years, and I believe he is extra outfitted, from being a greater putter to being higher psychologically,” former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley mentioned just lately. “I believe he’s a greater golfer than he has been ever heading into The Masters.”

Let the search proceed…

Watch The Masters, from Augusta Nationwide, reside this April reside on Sky Sports activities. Reside protection from the opening spherical begins from 2pm on Thursday April 6 on Sky Sports activities Golf!