Rory McIlroy has been ‘trying to poke holes’ in his sport to search out additional enchancment forward of The Masters, regardless of a formidable begin to the PGA Tour season.
McIlroy tops the FedExCup standings following his AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am victory over Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry in February, and his win at The Gamers in a Monday play-off at TPC Sawgrass.
This week the world No 2 will make his first look on the Texas Kids’s Houston Open since 2014, in what will probably be his ultimate PGA Tour begin forward of the main season with McIlroy eager to construct on a powerful begin to the yr.
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Billy Horschel says that Rory McIlroy is ready for a great take a look at on the 2025 Texas Kids’s Houston Open and admits it is a ‘completely designed’ course for the Northern Irishman
“I just want to get a card in my hand and shoot scores. Hopefully get myself in contention and try to win another golf tournament,” McIlroy instructed reporters forward of the occasion, stay from Thursday on Sky Sports activities.
“It is not as if I am enjoying right here this week and interested by two weeks’ time [The Masters]. I am right here, I am within the current and I am making an attempt to do my finest this week to win this golf event.
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Wayne Riley seems forward to The Masters and whether or not Rory McIlroy may full a profession Grand Slam, following his win at The Gamers
“I am clearly enjoying effectively and I wish to preserve enjoying effectively. I feel each spherical you play, the place you see good issues, you are kind of filling up that confidence bucket somewhat bit.
“It was nice to get a win a pair weeks in the past however I nonetheless really feel I may have performed rather a lot higher. I attempted to poke holes in lots of my sport final week and take into consideration issues I may do higher. There have been positively issues that I may work on or do higher.
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Highlights of the Monday play-off at The Gamers, the place Rory McIlroy defeated JJ Spaun to win the occasion for a second time
“It’s a good opportunity to go out and see if some of the work I did at home, and I’m continuing to do here, hopefully it’s all going in the right direction.”
McIlroy will among the many favourites for The Masters, the place he could have one other alternative to finish the Grand Slam, with the Northern Irishman taking a scouting mission to Augusta Nationwide on Monday forward of his newest bid for a fifth main title.
“I use those trips just to refamiliarize myself with the place, clubs off tees, looking to see if they changed any greens,” McIlroy defined. “There are 4 greens which might be new this yr, that they’ve redone.
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As The Masters approaches, watch a collection of the perfect and worst pictures from Rory McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide
“You have a look at those and see if there’s any new hole positions they give you, stuff like that. Apart from that, honestly for me, it’s nice to play a practice round without people around and it sort of takes the pressure off the start of the week for me.
“There’s lots of obligations, there’s massive commitments – whether or not it’s from media or the par-three event on Wednesday, so I similar to to rise up there and really feel like I am not rushed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday the week of the event.”
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Rory McIlroy exhibits off his unbelievable golf information by trying to call each winner of The Masters in his lifetime
When requested in regards to the harm Hurricane Helene had precipitated the par-three sixteenth at Augusta Nationwide final autumn, McIlroy added: “The loss of a few trees is definitely noticeable and they’ve had to redo that green, but it’s exactly the same as what it was.
“The opening will play, other than possibly a couple of much less shadows on the inexperienced late within the day due to a few bushes that have been misplaced, it is just about the identical.”
McIlroy is joined on this week’s area by world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who remains to be chasing a maiden PGA Tour victory of the season forward of his title defence at Augusta Nationwide and hopes of a 3rd Masters win in 4 years.
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Watch the story of Scottie Scheffler’s ultimate spherical at The Masters in 2024, as he claimed a second Inexperienced Jacket at Augusta with a final-round 68
“It’s a similar grass to what we see at Augusta,” Scheffler mentioned. “It’s also a big golf course, you’ve got to hit it far out here, so there is definitely some similarities and good preparation between here and Augusta.
“Feeling fairly good [about game]. Excited in regards to the stuff that we’re engaged on proper now and sport feels prefer it’s in a great spot. Positively excited to get the season going this week.”
Watch the Texas Kids’s Houston Open all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Early protection begins on Thursday from 12.15pm on Sky Sports activities Golf forward of full protection from 8pm.
