Relaxed Rory ready to rumble

Rory McIlroy will go into tomorrow’s opening round at the Masters feeling at one with his new clubs and is ready to go toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods and anyone else who cares to challenge him at Augusta National.

So much has been made about McIlroy’s change in equipment for the 2013 season, checking out with Titleist and cashing in with Nike, and poor results during four of his first six tournament starts of the campaign have led many to believe the switch in clubs and ball has been the main cause of his poor scoring.

McIlroy, drawn tomorrow in the penultimate group of the day at 6:52pm Irish time alongside Keegan Bradley and Freddie Jacobson, has insisted all along that the equipment was not the cause of his dip in form, rather his swing, and a closing-round 66 and a second-place finish at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio last Sunday reduced the number of doubters considerably.