Composed Rory moves on from meltdown memories

Rory McIlroy is glad to be back at Augusta National, believing he is a better player than 12 months ago, and wiser too than the kid who threw away the chance to win a Masters.

The US Open champion and world number two is also ready for a wide-open title chase, not just the duel with Tiger Woods so many people are predicting and the American media has already pitched at the level of a heavyweight title fight.

First, McIlroy, 22, has some baggage to lose from last year’s final-round collapse here, when his hopes of a maiden major win dissolved in agonising fashion on a Sunday in Georgia that most people had assumed would be a coronation after three previous rounds of near flawless golf.