Rory McIlroy visited Augusta on Monday to get familiar with the course again before his next attempt at completing the career Grand Slam in two weeks.
The Northern Irish golfer is playing in the Houston Open this week, marking his first event since winning his second Players Championship title just nine days ago.
This week, he will compete against top players, including world number one Scottie Scheffler, who will soon defend his Masters title.
Since 2015, McIlroy has been chasing his goal of becoming only the sixth player to win all four major championships. Despite six top-10 finishes at Augusta in the last decade, his best result came in 2022 when he finished second behind Scheffler, who dominated the tournament.
Recent storms in Georgia have caused the loss of some trees on the course, including near the par-three 16th hole. McIlroy took note of the changes during his visit.
“The missing trees are noticeable, but the redesigned 16th green is exactly the same as before,” said the 35-year-old.
“The hole will play the same, except for fewer shadows on the green later in the day due to the missing trees.”
‘I tried to poke holes in my game’
World number two Rory McIlroy shared that three other greens had to be redone but said the biggest advantage of his recent trip was getting a quiet look at the course.
“I like playing a practice round without crowds because it removes some of the pressure from tournament week,” McIlroy explained.
He mentioned that Masters week comes with many commitments, including media duties and the Wednesday par-three event. Visiting early helps him avoid feeling rushed on Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament begins.
Despite the upcoming Masters, where he aims to join golf legends like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus by completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy is focused on winning in Houston first.
He has already claimed two PGA Tour victories this season, winning the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship at Sawgrass.
“I’m not thinking about two weeks from now. I’m here to focus on this event and give my best to win,” he said.
Instead of playing next week’s Valero Texas Open, McIlroy chose to compete in Houston, believing one more tournament would help prepare him for the Masters.
“Winning recently was great, but I still think I can play better,” he admitted.
McIlroy has analyzed his performance, identifying areas for improvement, and is determined to sharpen his game before the season’s biggest challenge.