Rory on Woods at the Masters: "To have Tiger there would be phenomenal"
Masters champion Tiger Woods on the No. 13 hole during Practice Round 2 for the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Monday, November 9, 2020.
RORY McIlroy admits it would be “phenomenal” to see Tiger Woods make his comeback from serious leg injuries at Augusta National next week.
The Holywood spent Monday and Tuesday in Georgia, scouting the changes that have been made to the course for next week’s Masters.
“I think for golf and for the Masters tournament and for everyone, to have Tiger there would be phenomenal,” McIlroy said ahead of his final warm-up at the Valero Texas Open. “I think it just adds to the event.
“Anything Tiger Woods does in the game of golf is heightened whenever he's there. I mean, it would be awesome for him to be there. You know, he was there yesterday obviously and he's trying to see what he can do. Obviously, no one knows but him if he can make it around and think, you know, if he believes he can compete.”
Having watched Woods recover from spinal fusion surgery in 2017 and return two years later to win his fifth green jacket, McIlroy knows never to write Woods off.
“The sheer will and perseverance, yeah, it is incredible,” he said. “If he comes back from this again, it's just, he likes to prove people wrong, he likes to prove himself wrong, I think.”
The Holywood star was pleased to see the changes at Augusta, especially the toughened 11th and 15th the new greens at the third, 13th and 17th.
“The surrounds of the green are much more penal so that sort of bail-out to the right is much more difficult than it used to be,” he said of the par-four 11th which is 15 yards longer at 520 yards. “Overall I think it's going to play tougher than it has in previous years and it was already one of the toughest holes on the course.”
Iron play, distance control and putting inside six feet are elements he want to test under pressure at TPC San Antonio, where was second on his lone appearance in 2013.
“It’s a really good guide to see where my game is, especially if you're having to hit shots under pressure to try to win a golf tournament,” he said. “That’s when things start to stand out and things that you maybe need to work on.”
Having missed the cut at Augusta for the first time last year when working with Pete Cowen, he’s far happier this year.
“Yeah, chalk and cheese,” he said of his game. “I’m way more comfortable with my game, I'm happy with where everything is. Everything seems like it's a lot more settled.”
Meanwhile, Paul Dunne returns from a COVID-19-enforced absence for the Challenge Tour’s Limpopo Championship at Euphoria in South Africa where he’s joined by Tom McKibbin, John Murphy and Richard O’Donovan.
