By Sarah Gwynn, europeantour.com
at Augusta National
Much has changed since Rory McIlroy stood on the first tee at Augusta National six years ago, preparing to make his Masters Tournament debut, but one thing has not: he still gets butterflies in his stomach.
The Northern Irishman has won Major Championships, Ryder Cups and endless plaudits during his phenomenal rise since then, but nothing gets his adrenalin pumping quite like the first tee shot at the iconic Georgia venue.
This year, with a career Grand Slam within touching distance, McIlroy will likely feel more nervous than ever as he aims to add a Green Jacket to his glittering trophy collection, completing the puzzle having already won the three other biggest prizes in golf – namely the US Open Championship (2011), The Open Championship (2014) and the US PGA Championship (2012 and 2014).
“I think it’s probably the only first tee shot of a tournament these days that I still get nervous about,” said the 25 year old, who is hoping to become the sixth player in history to achieve a Major Grand Slam, following Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Tiger Woods.
“You get butterflies and your heart races a little bit faster than it does usually. I still get that same feeling I did as a rookie back here in 2009.
“It’s great to be back. It's a golf course that is very special, not to just me or the players playing this week, but to our game.”
Nerves and butterflies are beyond the control of even the World Number One, but McIlroy has prepared meticulously for the season’s first Major.
He pinpointed the par fives as an area for significant improvement, highlighting the fact that he played the four long holes in level par last year, whereas the winner, Bubba Watson, was eight under on the same quartet and ultimately eight shots ahead of McIlroy.
“The last two weeks have been great,” McIlroy continued. “I've just practised at home in Florida and made another trip up here a couple of Fridays ago.
“I said in the middle of last week that if Augusta was to start tomorrow, I'd be okay, I'm ready. So I think that's a good indication of where I am with my game. I've been ready for this thing to start for a week already.
Rory McIlroy
“I think I made six sixes last year, four on par fives and two on par fours. I just feel that sometimes on par fives with my length, I can be a little over aggressive. If I can just play the par fives a little better, hopefully that will help me do better and have a chance to win.”
And despite six years having passed since his maiden appearance, McIlroy has not forgotten the ‘wow factor’ experienced by first-timers such as young amateur Bradley Neil, with whom he played a practice round on Monday, and popstar Niall Horan, who will caddie for him in Wednesday’s par three contest.
“I remember saying to Bradley at The Ryder Cup last year, if you want to play a practice round at Augusta, just let me know,” said McIlroy. “I gave him my number and just let him decide if he wanted to. His game is right there.
“And I've got Niall from One Direction as my caddie tomorrow, which should be good fun. He's never been to the Masters. I caught up with him in Australia at the end of last year and he was really excited, and I said if you're available Wednesday afternoon and you want to carry the bag for nine holes, you're more than welcome.”
