Timely boost as Rory lauded with Euro Tour award
The 22-year-old took the award despite Luke Donald taking back top spot a fortnight later with victory at the Transitions Championship and Justin Rose winning the second of this season’s world championship events.
McIlroy, at Augusta for The Masters, said: “There were a couple of guys in with a great chance last month, so it’s nice to come out on top.”
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Luke Donald will not be defending his Masters par-three title today because he wants to concentrate on his bid for a first major.
England’s world number one finished fourth at Augusta last year and so the fact remains that no winner of the pre-tournament par-three event has ever gone on to become Masters champion four days later.
Donald insists that pulling out of today’s — now televised live — does not indicate he believes in the jinx.
“No,” he said. “It’s just the fact that my focus is on winning the other one, not the par three, this year.
“I probably will play it when my kids get a little bit older because I think it’s a great experience to take out my daughters to come carry a few clubs around with me.
“That would be fun, but playing on greens that are not quite the same the afternoon before the first round doesn’t seem the best preparation for me.”
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World number 12 Dustin Johnson is out of this week’s Masters because of a back injury.
With no reserves for the opening major of the season, Johnson’s withdrawal reduces the field from 97 to 96 players.
It comes only a day after he told his followers on Twitter: “Oh yeah ... it’s Masters week!!!!”
His next message, however, was yesterday’s, in which he said: “First I have to apologize to the fans and sponsors. With heartfelt regret, I won’t be playing in the Masters due to a tweaked back.
“You have no idea how much I wanted to walk the fairways at Augusta and fulfill what I’ve been practicing for!! I’ll have to root my buddies!”
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Charl Schwartzel admitted he is nervous — not about his defence of the Masters title, but about hosting the champions dinner.
“I’m going to be around, obviously, past champions and legends that I never got to see play,” said the 27-year-old South African.
“We see the highlights of how these guys did it and I’m going to be in a room with them.
“I think it’s going to be an unbelievable evening, but there is a bit of nerves that come with it.”
Schwartzel had asked if he could have a barbecue outside the Augusta National clubhouse and do at least some of the cooking himself, but was told that was not really on.
“They (club officials) explained to me that it’s only a little short time and you mix with all of the guys.
“Then I realised I don’t really want to do it because then I’m not going to get to talk to everyone — and I don’t want to get too much oil on my green jacket either.”
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Lee Westwood has dismissed the notion that this week’s Masters should be all about Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
“Rory has never won here, Tiger’s not won here since 2005,” Westwood said.
“I think everybody in this room would have to be naive to think it was a two-horse race, wouldn’t they?
“I think Phil (Mickelson) might have a little something to say about that. Luke (Donald) might. I might.”
Westwood, 39 later this month, has had two spells as world number one himself, but after 55 majors is still searching for his first victory. He and McIlroy were stablemates until last October, but there has been much talk of rivalry between the pair since the 22-year-old left to join Dublin-based Horizon. Westwood called the decision “bizarre” — and that after commenting after last year’s Masters: “I have played with Rory a lot — when he gets under a bit of pressure he’s got a pull hook in his bag.”
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