The Masters: Grand Slam hopeful McIlroy says golf stars must visit Tiger Woods to 'keep his spirits up'

By Sports Desk April 06, 2021

Rory McIlroy said golf's biggest stars must rally around Tiger Woods by making regular trips to his Florida mansion and he would love to be part of the sport's Grand Slam club by his next visit.

After winning an Open Championship, a U.S. Open and two US PGA Championships early in his career, McIlroy returns to Augusta for another shot at Masters glory this week.

Woods, who suffered serious leg injuries in a February car crash, would love to be involved but is recovering at home after that brush with disaster and hopes to play competitive golf again.

The American superstar became the first player since the 1960s to win all four of the sport's majors in his career when he landed the Open title in 2000 at St Andrews.

With 15 career majors, Woods is unmistakably an all-time great, and McIlroy would become just the sixth player to achieve the modern Grand Slam should he land green jacket glory. Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Gary Player are the players who achieved the feat before Woods came on the scene.

Speaking about the absent Woods ahead of Thursday's opening round, former world number one McIlroy said: "Hopefully, if his recovery goes well, who knows, he could be back in 12 months' time.

"He's always missed when he doesn't play in these big events, and that doesn't change this week, whether it's to do with his back or his leg or whatever it is.

"I know he's at home and he's fully focused on the recovery process, and I feel like he's mentally strong enough to get through that. And once he does, broken bones heel, and he's just got to take it step by step.

"I'm sure he's going to put everything he has into trying to be ready to play here next year. I went over and saw him, spent a couple hours with him, which was nice. It was good to see him. It was good to see him in decent spirits.

"When you hear of these things and you look at the car and you see the crash, you think he's going to be in a hospital bed for six months. But he was actually doing better than that. A few of us that live down in South Florida went to see him. I'm sure he appreciates that.

"I think myself, JT [Justin Thomas], Rickie [Fowler], DJ [Dustin Johnson], Brooks [Koepka], all those guys down there, we all have a responsibility to try to keep his spirits up and keep him going and try to get him back out here."

Nothing would give McIlroy more pleasure than being able to visit Woods as a Masters champion, with that Grand Slam monkey off his back. He has six top-10 finishes at the event in the last seven years, which shows what he has to offer.

The Masters is the mountain he has been unable to quite climb, meaning the 'Rory Slam' has yet to be completed.

"If I were able to do it, I'd join a very small list of golfers in history that have been able to do it. So I know where it would put me in the game and how cool it would be, and I would love to do it one day," McIlroy said.

"But for me to do that, I just have to go out and try to play four good rounds of golf on this golf course. I've played a bunch of really good rounds on this golf course before, but just not four in a row."

McIlroy revealed his visit to Woods' home in late March was an eye-opener, in terms of learning how his friend and rival has approached competing over the years.

"In his family room he's got his trophy cabinet and it's his 15 major trophies. I said, 'That's really cool. Where are all the others?'," McIlroy said.

"He said, 'I don't know'. I go, 'What?'. He said, 'Yeah, my mom has some, and a few are in the office and a few are wherever'."

It struck McIlroy, as he was driving home from that visit, that the majors were the be-all and end-all for Woods.

"I'm just thinking to myself, how easy must that have felt for him if all he cared about were four weeks a year. The other stuff must have been like practice. So that's like a really cool perspective to have, right," McIlroy said.

"That's all I could think about on the way home. And I was glad he was OK, too."

McIlroy has been working with coach Pete Cowen on simplifying his technique, saying he is "just at the start of a journey here that I know will get me back to where I want to be".

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson is also taking part this week, the 50-year-old being a U.S. Open short of a Grand Slam himself.

His prospects of completing the full set look to be slim given he is not the force he once was, but Mickelson has the capacity to surprise and would love another Augusta challenge.

Many consider McIlroy's game to be well suited to The Masters, and Mickelson always knew his own skillset was perfect for the course.

"I never really doubted that I would end up winning this tournament," Mickelson said on Tuesday. "This is a course that is very well suited for the way I grew up playing, but that joy of winning it for the first time, finally breaking through, it's beyond belief."

Related items

  • Robert MacIntyre mocks American Ryder Cup team with caddie’s bib in Florida Robert MacIntyre mocks American Ryder Cup team with caddie’s bib in Florida

    Ryder Cup winner Robert MacIntyre trolled his American hosts at the Valspar Championship in Florida after labelling his caddie’s bib with the scoreline from Europe’s victory in Rome.

    The Scot, who was unbeaten with two-and-a-half-points in the Marco Simone Country Club in September, took advantage of a quirk of the tournament which allows players to choose their own wording for their bagman’s attire.

    MacIntyre opted for EUR 16.5 – 11.5 USA, a reference to America’s crushing defeat as Luke Donald’s side won back the trophy, for Mike Burrows’ bib.

    However, Englishman Burrows was not even on MacIntyre’s bag for the Ryder Cup as they did not pair up until a month later.

    MacIntyre’s choice understandably received mixed responses. Ryder Cup Europe posted on X: “He’s only gone and done it. We approve” but their USA counterparts wrote “Never too soon to start thinking about Bethpage in 2025”, while the official PGA Tour account simply said “Too soon?”

    Unfortunately for the 27-year-old left-hander he could not rediscover the form he showed in Italy, with just two birdies and a bogey in a one-under opening round which left him six off the lead set by Kevin Streelman.

    The Scot’s two American playing partners Kevin Roy and Chandler Phillips both outscored him, shooting six under and three under respectively.

    MacIntyre is making his ninth appearance on the PGA Tour this season and has missed the cut in half of his previous events, including last week’s Players Championship.

  • Zandre Roye dominates to claim T&T Open Golf Championship title Zandre Roye dominates to claim T&T Open Golf Championship title

    Zandre Roye, hailing from Jamaica, etched his name in history books as he clinched the Trinidad & Tobago Open Golf Championship title, becoming the first Jamaican to achieve this remarkable feat. Roye's stellar performance saw him dominate the field from day one, ultimately securing victory by a commanding nine-shot margin at the Tobago Plantation Golf Course on Sunday.

    Throughout the four-day championship, Roye showcased exceptional consistency and skill, posting impressive scores of four over par 76, one under par 71, one over par 73, and par 72 on days one through four, respectively. Holding the lead from start to finish, Roye's determination propelled him to an overall score of four over par 292, firmly establishing his dominance over the competition.

    His nearest competitor, Zico Correia from Trinidad & Tobago, trailed behind with a score of 13 over par 301, securing second place, while Chris Richards Jr., also from Trinidad & Tobago, claimed third place with a score of 18 over par 306.

    Reflecting on his historic victory, Roye expressed his elation and described his mindset during the challenging conditions on the final day. Confident in his abilities and drawing on past experiences, he maintained his composure and focused on executing each shot to perfection, ultimately widening the gap between himself and his closest rivals.

    Roye's commanding lead allowed him to navigate the final holes with confidence, culminating in a triumphant finish on the last hole with a nine-shot advantage. His remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone in his golfing career and reaffirms his status as one of the sport's rising stars.

    Looking ahead, Roye sets his sights on the Easter Jamboree at the Upton Estate Golf & Country Club, eager to continue his winning momentum on his home course.

    Despite facing formidable competition, fellow Jamaican golfers Oshae Haye and Sean Morris displayed commendable performances, finishing in 15th and 18th place, respectively, in the championship flight.

    In addition to Roye's individual triumph, Jamaica secured victory in the President's Cup, propelled by the stellar performances of Roye and Haye. Trinidad & Tobago claimed second place, with St. Kitts & Nevis rounding out the top three.

    Dr. Mark Newnham emerged victorious in the Senior's Flight, while Zeke Percival of St. Kitts & Nevis and Russell Latapy of Trinidad & Tobago secured second and third place, respectively.

    The Jamaica Olympic Association and the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission played integral roles in facilitating Jamaica's participation in the championship.

  • Tiger Woods named on entry list for next month’s Masters Tiger Woods named on entry list for next month’s Masters

    Tiger Woods has been included in an 85-man field for the Masters published on the tournament’s official website.

    Woods has not competed since withdrawing from February’s Genesis Invitational due to illness after six holes of his second round.

    It was the 48-year-old’s first PGA Tour event of the season and just his second tournament since undergoing ankle surgery in April last year after withdrawing from the Masters during the third round.

    Woods did not compete again until the Hero World Challenge in December, where he finished 18th in the 20-man field but said he was pleased with his progress and that his goal of playing one tournament a month in 2024 was “reasonable”.

    The 15-time major winner has not officially confirmed his participation in the Masters but will be desperate to return to Augusta National, where he won his first major title in 1997 and his most recent in 2019.

    Woods was one of the six PGA Tour player-directors who met officials from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in the Bahamas on Monday as efforts continue to make a deal to end golf’s civil war.

    PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan met PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in January and the players followed suit the day after the Players Championship concluded at Sawgrass.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.