Rory McIlroy returns to PGA Tour motion on the Texas Youngsters’s Shell Houston this week, a part of his newest try and discover a profitable formulation for finishing the profession Grand Slam at The Masters.
All eyes will as soon as once more be on McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide subsequent month, dwell on Sky Sports activities, the place victory would see him declare an elusive fifth main title and grow to be the primary male golfer to finish the Grand Slam since Tiger Woods.
McIlroy has posted 21 top-10 finishes in majors since his two titles in 2014, when he adopted victory at The Open by profitable the PGA Championship for a second time, along with his outstanding consistency but to be transformed right into a historic Masters success.
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Wayne Riley appears forward to The Masters and whether or not Rory McIlroy may full a profession Grand Slam, following the world No 2’s win at The Gamers
The world No 2 has made annual tweaks to his early-season schedule to offer himself one of the best likelihood of being able to problem for the Inexperienced Jacket, with McIlroy persevering with to experiment with the variety of occasions he performs – and the place – within the build-up to the key season.
McIlroy has – to date – adopted by way of along with his dedication to scale back his schedule, having admitted to hitting “a wall” throughout a packed summer season, with this week’s begin his sixth and last occasion forward of The Masters.
The Northern Irishman is presently the one two-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2025, following his season-opening win on the AT&T Pebble Seashore by securing The Gamers for a second time, with McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler now the 2 overwhelming favourites for Houston victory.
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Highlights from the ultimate spherical of the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am, the place Rory McIlroy impressed to assert a two-shot victory in his first PGA Tour look of the 12 months
Why has McIlroy picked this occasion?
McIlroy deliberated for a while the place to tee it up between The Gamers and The Masters – having not taken three weeks off going into Augusta Nationwide since 2012, saying on a number of events that he was not sure which of the Texas occasions he supposed to play.
The Valero Texas Open was the opposite consideration for McIlroy, happening per week earlier than The Masters and the place he completed runner-up in 2013 earlier than showing in two of the earlier three years.
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As The Masters approaches, watch a collection of one of the best and worst pictures from Rory McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide
McIlroy missed the lower on the Texas Open in 2022 earlier than ending runner-up to Scheffler at Augusta per week later, then completed third in final 12 months’s occasion forward of him failing to contend at The Masters.
This 12 months’s pre-Masters schedule is 2 occasions fewer than he performed heading into final 12 months’s main opener, whereas competing in Houston provides him per week off to relaxation and follow forward of his newest Grand Slam bid.
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May Houston be the proper match for McIlroy?
It’s McIlroy’s first begin on the Houston Open since 2014, the 12 months he received the newest two of his 4 main titles, along with his return seeing him make a maiden look at Memorial Park Golf Course.
“It’s a perfectly-designed golf course for Rory,” Billy Horschel advised the Sky Sports activities Golf podcast. “When Rory was speaking to me about it once we had been speaking schedules on the finish of final 12 months, early this 12 months, and he talked about enjoying Houston, I mentioned to him, ‘man, that course is correct up your alley’.
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“There’s a distance bias there. There’s a lot of holes that he can hit his nice going draw along. I would suspect Rory has a very good chance to win.
“I do know that Scottie Scheffler’s within the subject however with the way in which that Rory has been enjoying this 12 months, the way in which his sport is at, it would not shock me if he went on to win this week.
“I feel it may be a fantastic check. The greens are huge, they have some slope in them. Chipping across the greens and having to hit chips as much as greens form of will get you prepared for Augusta somewhat bit.
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Rory McIlroy revealed earlier this month that he’s impressed by Scottie Scheffler’s golf sport and picked out his course-management expertise as one thing he can study from
“The field is a really good one but if Rory wins, then I’m not shocked by it at all.”
How prepared is McIlroy to finish his Grand Slam drought?
Since McIlroy completed tied-Twenty second finally 12 months’s Masters, the place Scheffler cruised to a four-shot victory, he has registered 5 worldwide victories and solely ended a match exterior the highest 20 on 4 events.
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Adam Scott shared his admiration for Rory McIlroy forward of The Gamers – suggesting that he’s the ‘full bundle’
McIlroy has revealed after each victories this 12 months that he appears like a extra full participant than he has earlier than, with the previous world No 1 happy to win The Gamers regardless of not at all times having his A-game.
Explaining that remark after his play-off win at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy mentioned: “I’m a better putter. I’m better around the greens. I can flight my ball better in the wind. My ability to shape shots both ways.
“Not at all did I’ve my finest stuff however I used to be nonetheless in a position to win one of many largest tournaments on the planet. That is an enormous factor.”
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Rory McIlroy displays on his triumph at The Gamers Championship victory, the place he beat JJ Spaun in a play-off
Requested if his finest golf could possibly be but to come back, McIlroy advised Sky Sports activities: “Absolutely. I don’t think I should be out here if I didn’t believe my best golf was in front of me.
“I need to attempt to preserve bettering and getting higher and it is the explanation that, after 16 or 17 years out right here, I am nonetheless doing it.”
Whether or not that ‘finest golf’ can embrace a win at The Masters in 2025 stays to be seen however one other sturdy week in Houston will solely improve hopes – and expectation – for him to finish his Grand Slam mission.
Watch Rory McIlroy in motion on the Texas Youngsters’s Shell Houston Open this week dwell on Sky Sports activities. Early protection begins on Thursday from 12.15pm on Sky Sports activities Golf forward of full protection from 8pm.
