Rory McIlroy seeks morale boost in advance of US Masters

A common thread has emerged in recent weeks on the PGA Tour, which is all the more relevant in the run-up to next month's US Masters.

As if already smelling the azaleas, players with Major titles have stepped up to the mark and found momentum at the right time. In a sequence that has seen Bubba Watson, Adam Scott (twice), Charl Schwartzel and Jason Day all win in successive weeks, the absence of Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth from the list of winners is notable.

At least Spieth has also won this season, even if that Hyundai champions success at the start of January came at a time when most players were only shaking off the winter cobwebs.

In McIlroy’s case, though, his failure to win at all so far this season – especially given that he has put himself into a position to close the deal on a number of occasions – is only worrying for the proximity of the upcoming Masters.

This week he defends his WGC-Dell Matchplay title in Austin, Texas, before taking a week's break to prepare for the Masters. He knows time is tight.

The Northern Irishman’s post-Bay Hill comments were honest in self-assessing where his game is at, particularly his propensity to seemingly run up big numbers out of nowhere.

His driving is good, his swing is good and his putting, if mercurial, is good. So, the problem, as he sees it, is a mental one. Pure and simple.

Bigger picture

And, in talking of the need to find “momentum” in Austin and of getting a “confidence builder” ahead of the Masters, McIlroy has his sights set on the bigger picture, that it really is all about being right for Augusta where he will be seeking a first green jacket and, of course, the career Grand Slam.

Never one to hide from self-analysis, McIlroy – who has had three top-10s so far this year in his six tournament outings – depicted his play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as symptomatic of "the story of my year." As he put it: "I've played some great golf and not great golf. I've made a lot of mistakes as well."

In actual fact, making those mistakes, or running up double-bogeys as he did in Bay Hill, won’t be as penal in matchplay where he has the bailout of such self-inflicted wounds resulting in the likely loss of a hole rather than stifling his tournament as they did at Arnie’s place.

Yet, the reality is McIlroy is looking for, and needs to find, some momentum in Austin to take with him to Augusta.

Normal game

McIlroy had no fewer than six double-bogeys in four rounds at Bay Hill, which just isn’t his normal game at all.

“These high scores, I know it’s nothing to do with my game, really. It’s nothing to do with me technically. It’s more mental,” he said. With just one tournament left on his itinerary before the Masters, where mental lapses are penalised like nowhere else, McIlroy needs to clear his head and find his focus. Perhaps the timing of the WGC-Dell Matchplay and its more aggressive nature is just what he needs.

Having been leapfrogged in the world rankings by Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Jason Day, McIlroy has dropped to number three in the latest rankings and is in a battle with Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott to stay there as any one of the chasing three could all jump ahead of him after the Matchplay.

McIlroy is one of three Irish players in the field, along with Shane Lowry – back in action after a two-week break – and Graeme McDowell, who missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Day, incidentally, revealed he had traded text messages ahead of the final round with Tiger Woods and talked of this latest win providing "confidence" going forward.

“I’ve been working really, really hard. I mean I had not stopped. I’ve had to sacrifice a little bit of time spending with the family just so I could work a little bit harder and, you know, really focus on my golf game and it’s finally paid off,” said the Australian, who achieved a breakthrough Major triumph in last year’s US PGA.