Who’d be a soothsayer in these times? Just down Washington Road, a real-life clairvoyant – the road sign heralds “Readings by Angel” – offers psychic insights to those inclined to believe tarot cards, although the task of predicting the winner of this 89th Masters tournament, with the Rory McIlroy conundrum again at play, would likely prove a tall ask of any earthly being.
Yes, we know that Scottie Scheffler – champion in 2022 and 2024 – is, rightly, installed as the favourite; but McIlroy’s form-line, with two wins (in the AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am and more notably at The Players) already this season, has delivered a sense that, maybe, just maybe, his time of deliverance in that quest to complete the final piece in the Grand Slam jigsaw may finally fall into place. Or not!
For others, among them Shane Lowry, are also very much eyeing that prized green jacket.
Of all the four Majors, this is the one – as the first of the year – which comes after an eight-and-a-half months wait, dating back to when Xander Schauffele raised the Claret Jug at Royal Troon, and as such has players’ minds racing ahead despite themselves.
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McIlroy’s two wins on the PGA Tour this season make him the only multiple winner, in a year where more non-Americans have won tournaments than Americans. Of the 15 titles claimed, 10 have gone to internationals, including six to Europeans.
So, could this be McIlroy’s time? It could, for sure. One of the consequences of the storm that hit Augusta National back in September is that the tree that infamously derailed his bid for glory back in 2011 – where he hooked a tee shot on the 10th hole of his final round – has gone, so that the line of sight on the drive is now a clear one. An omen?
Talking of how the storm has changed the treescape with so many lost trees in that storm, McIlroy remarked – honing in the 10th – that, “there are a couple tee shots that are maybe a little less visually intimidating, thinking like a tee shot like 10 with a little bit of that tree loss on the left side. Your target there is that sort of TV or that camera tower down there at the bottom of the hill. You used to not be able to see that, and now you can see that pretty clearly. Visually it looks like you don’t have to turn the ball as much as you used to.”
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McIlroy fine-tuned his latest bid for a green jacket, his 17th start in the tournament, with nine holes in the company of Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm. In his own mind, with the work done with coach Michael Bannon and his two advance visits also enabling him to feel comfortable of the task ahead, he remarked: “I understand the narrative and the noise, and there’s a lot of anticipation and buildup coming into this tournament each and every year, but I just have to keep my head down and focus on my job.”
If anything, Lowry has looked even more relaxed. Although he hasn’t won this season, Lowry’s consistency has been admirable with every facet of his game, but most importantly his putting, in good shape.
“Just because of what’s going on the last few weeks and or how I’ve played this year, it doesn’t give me a God-given right to go play well. I just need to get back to my basics and just do my thing and give it my best shot,” said Lowry, who has three top-10s so far this season, including a runner-up finish to McIlroy at Pebble Beach.
Lowry’s breakthrough Major win came in The Open at Royal Portrush in 2019 and he has shown to be a big-time player, including a 62 in the US PGA to tie the record for a low round in any Major.
For Lowry, the build-up too has been about not allowing his mind to race ahead. But he did acknowledge, “if I’m on that 10th tee with a chance to win the Masters on Sunday, I’ll be certainly ready. I feel like I’ve been around long enough and done enough in the game to be ready for any situation this week.
“Golf’s a funny game, it’s a fickle game, and you never know what’s around the corner. If I go out with that attitude, I think I can do some nice things this week. You know, all parts of my game have been good this year, and they need to be good this week to have any chance of winning. We’ll just see what happens. Obviously, there’s a little carrot dangling, of what could be there at the end of the week, and that that’s something that would be very special, but you’re not trying to think about stuff like that, and you try and stay in the present and just keep going, keep your head down and focus on the job at hand,” added Lowry.
The truth is that McIlroy and Lowry – and, indeed, each one of the 95 players in the field – can only focus on their own task, step by step, shot by shot. Yet, of all of the 88 Masters have that preceded this one, it is doubtful that two Irish players have ever started with greater hope of what might be. Both serious contenders, both entitled to believe.
