Rory McIlroy takes 'tons of positives' from WGC Match Play as The Masters at Augusta edges closer
Rory McIlroy won six matches out of seven at WCG-Dell Technologies Match Play in promising signs ahead of The Masters; watch the first major of the year, from Augusta National, live on Sky Sports from Thursday April 6 as McIlroy looks to complete career Grand Slam
Last Updated: 27/03/23 6:46pm
Rory McIlroy will soon begin his annual quest to win The Masters at Augusta National and become the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the players to have achieved that slice of history, with McIlroy tipped to join them ever since - and probably even before - 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 year later, while he scooped a second PGA crown in August 2014 for his fourth - and most recent - major.
- Rory McIlroy beats Scottie Scheffler after missing out on Match Play final
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Glory at Augusta National has continued to elude McIlroy, though. Seven top-10 finishes, including five in a row between 2014 and 2018, but no trophy as the Grand Slam wait goes on.
The Ulsterman's best result was last year, where a super final-round 64 - which included a remarkable hole-out from a greenside bunker on the 18th - propelled him into second place and three shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy's goal over the Easter weekend will be to go one better at Augusta - and that looks eminently doable with the 33-year-old impressing en route to finishing third at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with six wins out of seven.
"There are a ton of positives to take away. If you had told me I would make it to the Sunday of the Match Play last week I would have taken that," said McIlroy, shortly after beating world No 1 Scheffler in the third-place play-off.
"I am maybe going to go up [to Augusta National] for a day and mess around. I went last week but don't think there is any harm in going up again and then it's about practice.
"I don't think there is tons to do. I think my game is in really good shape so just keep it ticking over, work on the shots I need for Augusta and away we go."
McIlroy had been wayward with his driver and cool with the putter while missing the cut at The Players two weeks ago.
He also said he wanted to get back to "being purely a golfer" having "sacrificed a little bit of time" while serving as the unofficial spokesperson in the game's battle with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
He was certainly back to being a golfer at the Match Play.
What was different for McIlroy?
Armed with a new putter and driver shaft, McIlroy won his first five matches in Austin, defeating Scott Stallings, Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley in the round-robin group stage before excelling in the opening two knockout rounds on Saturday as he saw off Lucas Herbert and Xander Schauffele.
The four-time major champion carded nine birdies in a blemish-free round against Herbert in the last 16, before pipping Schauffele on the final hole in the quarter-finals, sinking a 15-foot birdie look with his fresh putter to win a match he had never previously led in.
Dame Laura Davies told Sky Sports Golf: "McIlroy holed a lot of putts under pressure to keep those matches going [at the Match Play]. Rory is the one for me at The Masters."
McIlroy had also reportedly been hot with the flat stick during a practice round at Augusta in between The Players and the Match Play, with rumours swirling that he took just 19 putts. They were rumours the world No 3 chose not to play down.
"Yeah, look, I had two good days," said McIlroy. "We played 54 holes in two days, and it was good. I was really happy with where my game was. It was good to see that after struggling at The Players."
McIlroy looked poised to make the Match Play final on Sunday when he was two up with three to play against Cameron Young, only for his opponent to subsequently level the match on the 18th and then win it on the first extra hole as he converted a putt from circa 10 feet and McIlroy missed from similar range.
The expectation coming into Sunday's semi-finals was that McIlroy and Scheffler would meet later in the day and they did - but in the third-place play-off rather than the final, with defending champion Scheffler knocked out in the semi-finals by Sam Burns.
It meant Scheffler vs McIlroy had a little less riding on it, both in terms of importance and monetary gain, but the fact the Northern Irishman secured a one-to-one win over Scheffler would still have been a real fillip with Augusta in mind.
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It would be no surprise if Scheffler and McIlroy were doing battle again on Masters Sunday.
Scheffler trying to claim the Green Jacket for the second year in succession and McIlroy for the first time in his career. Scheffler aiming for a second major, McIlroy a fifth and the Grand Slam.
"I think [Rory] is a better player now than he has been the last 10 years, and I think he's more equipped, from being a better putter to being better psychologically," former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said recently. "I think he is a better golfer than he has been ever heading into The Masters."
Let the quest continue…
Watch The Masters, from Augusta National, live this April live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from the opening round begins from 2pm on Thursday April 6 on Sky Sports Golf!
