Rory McIlroy targets Masters victory after Arnold Palmer success
GETTY Rory McIlroy is confident heading into the Masters after victory at the Arnold Palmer invitational
The three-shot victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, delivered with a vintage final-round 64 on Sunday, ended a drought stretching back 18 tournaments and primed McIlroy for a meaningful assault on Augusta. It is the only Major to have eluded the 28-year-old Northern Irishman but, buoyed by the confidence of his performance at Bay Hill, he feels he can beat Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth to the punch in 2018 as all three attempt to complete their Slam and join golf’s greats. “I’m in a position where I can join that club and I would love to,” said McIlroy. “Golf’s in a great place – there’s three of us that are going for the Grand Slam this year and it’s exciting times. Obviously I’m glad to be a part of that conversation. I get the first shot at it in a few weeks so we’ll see how we go. “I didn’t need a win going into Augusta to feel like I had a chance, I just wanted to see signs of good golf, but thankfully I’ve been able to get both. “To get into the winner’s circle again feels really good. I’m really proud of myself, how I hung in there over the past year with injuries. Taking a little bit of time off at the end of last year to get myself right coming into this year – all that hard work has finally paid off.
GETTY Rory McIlory's victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational was his first victory in 18 months
“I kept telling everyone, even when I was missing cuts and finishing 60th, it wasn’t that far away, so just a couple of little tweaks here and there and it’s nice to be in this position again.” The most significant upgrade has been to McIlroy’s suspect putting after a consultation with former US Ryder Cup player Brad Faxon. A weakness became a weapon at Bay Hill as he led the field in strokes gained on the greens, closing spectacularly from long range for his fifth birdie in his last six holes to secure victory. “He freed up my head more than my stroke,” said McIlroy, who moved up to No7 in the world rankings. “I was complicating things a bit and thinking a little bit too much about it and maybe [got] a little bogged down by technical or mechanical thoughts. “The objective is to get that ball in the hole, and that’s it. I lost sight of that a little bit. That sounds silly, but I just reminded myself that it doesn’t matter how you do it as long as that thing goes in.” Playing partner Justin Rose, who finished third, was asked when he had last seen McIlroy putt so well. “Never,” replied Rose.
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