Rory McIlroy plans to peak for Augusta

The road to the Masters starts on the other side of the country for Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy has heard enough of Riviera that he decided to play the Northern Trust Open for the first time, and 27 holes before yesterday’s opening round left him convinced that it was a smart move and that it was worth it to add one more event to a busy schedule.

He is playing five of the next six weeks, and every field will be among the strongest in golf for this time of the year.