Rory’s losing streak follows him to Asia

IF losing the Masters was not tough enough, Rory McIlroy arrived for the Malaysian Open after a near 30-hour trip without his golf clubs.

McIlroy had an on-board picture taken with Charl Schwartzel, whose clubs also didn’t make the connection out of London meaning both players missed 18-hole practice rounds ahead of the $2.5million (€1.73m) event.

“It was a really long flight to get here and we must have spent 20 hours in the air and 30 hours to get here from Augusta, so hopefully I will get a bit of sleep tonight and wake up a bit fresher in the morning and be ready to go,” said McIlroy.

“It wasn’t the plan that Charl’s clubs and my clubs didn’t arrive but hopefully they’ll arrive before we tee off. It happens all the time and you get used to it.”

However, McIlroy admitted knowing Schwartzel so well and sharing the same first class cabin with him to Malaysia had, in some way, eased his Augusta anguish.

“Knowing Charl as well as I do has helped a little bit and if you look at all the current major champions, I know them all so well, including G-Mac (Graeme McDowell),” said McIlroy.

“To see them all as major winners only tells me that if I keep doing the right things it shouldn’t be too far away for me.

“But the way Charl played that last day, you can’t take anything away from him because to go out there and start the way he did, and then to finish it off with four closing birdies was a great performance.”

But despite their relationship and the Green Jacket being so close to him, he wasn’t tempted to try it on.

“No, no way was I going anywhere trying it on and I will wait to next year when I hopefully can get my hands on it,” said McIlroy.

It will be McIlroy’s second appearance in this event after missing the cut in 2008 and he plays the first two rounds in the company of world number 1 Martin Kaymer and double Malaysian Open winner, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.

Other Irish players in the field include Peter Lawrie, Gareth Maybin and Michael Hoey.