Rory McIlroy plots route to Masters
The Augusta showpiece is the only major missing from the 26-year-old’s CV and he will try to make sure he is in top form heading to the Georgia venue next year.
The Irishman managed his best performance in the year’s first major in 2015 when finishing fourth behind first-time winner Jordan Spieth. And it was the Texan who dominated the sport throughout the rest of the year, with victory in the US Open while he was also in contention in the other two majors.
McIlroy’s season was curtailed by injury and he was forced to miss the Open Championship but is now more determined than ever to bounce back. He will play more golf than usual in January, February and March to make sure he is ready to take on Spieth and world number two Jason Day when a Green Jacket is on the line.
“If I can get off to a good start next year, I can get back to number one going into the Masters,” he told BBC Sport.
“I’m going to play two more tournaments leading up to Augusta in April.
“I need to feel I’m right in the middle of the season at Augusta. Over the last couple of years, I’ve played pretty well at Augusta but I’ve got off to a little bit of a slow start each time.”
McIlroy still needs the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam, but with Spieth and Day having won three of the four majors in 2015, he said he will be one of a “number of storylines” going into the first major of the year.
“I’m not going to be the only narrative going into Augusta.”
Meanwhile McIlroy has won the Association of Golf Writers’ trophy, becoming only the third player to secure the prestigious award on three occasions.
The 26-year-old joins Seve Ballesteros and Lee Westwood as a three-time winner after picking up the accolade in 2012 and 2014.
The four-time major champion was a narrow victor this year, just edging Britain and Ireland’s Walker Cup team, who pulled off a record 16.5-9.5 triumph over the United States’ leading amateurs at Royal Lytham and St Annes in September.
The world number three, who was also named European Tour Golfer of the Year earlier this week, triumphed at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last month to successfully defend his Race to Dubai crown – an honour he also claimed for a third time since 2012.
“Winning in Dubai again meant a huge amount to me and enabled me to look at the year in a different light. It has also given me that bit of momentum going into next season,” McIlroy added.
“I’d also like to congratulate our Walker Cup team. It must have been a very difficult decision for the golf writers.”
