Rory McIlroy kicked off his Players Championship victory quest with only his second sub-70 TPC Sawgrass start and then downplayed any threat of burnout in competing for five straight weeks up to and including the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy let his honesty shine through again, bluntly admitting he was ‘pissed off’ after the disappointment of missing the halfway cut in the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens. 

While Rory McIlroy will command much of the focus in the countdown to the Masters, good friend Shane Lowry reckons he could become only the third player in history to win on debut at Augusta National.

Rory McIlroy will compete at next year’s rescheduled Irish Open at Carton House.