World Number One Rory McIlroy will attempt to fulfil a lifelong dream next week when he tees it up in the Masters Tournament, hoping to complete a brilliant grand slam of Major titles.
The Northern Irishman has already claimed the US Open Championship, Open Championship and US PGA Championship (twice), but the Masters is the missing piece in the puzzle, the elusive title currently keeping him out of an elite group of five players to have won all four in the modern era.
Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Tiger Woods are the men in whose footsteps McIlroy is aiming to follow, and although he is trying to keep a lid on expectations, he cannot help but dream of what might unfold at the glorious, iconic Augusta National.
“Some people think I have been preparing for next week’s Major since August 2014, but the truth is, I’ve been dreaming of this all my life,” said McIlroy, who led heading into the final round of the 2011 Masters, only to let it slip and finish tied 15th.
“It would be something way beyond my dreams if it worked out. I don’t try to put it out of my head – it’s there because of my achievements last year and I’ve had since August 2014, when I won the US PGA.
“People have been talking about it since last year but I’ve been trying not to over-emphasise it. After all, it’s just another golf tournament. It can only distract from what you’re trying to do, which is just to go out and try to play the best you can.
“I will be giving it my all to complete the grand slam at 25 years of age.”
McIlroy will, of course, face stiff competition in Georgia, not least from his 2014 Ryder Cup team-mates Thomas Bjørn, Stephen Gallacher, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, not to mention the defending champion, Bubba Watson.
Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, who were also part of Europe’s victory at Gleneagles last September, will both celebrate their tenth Masters Tournament appearance; while in-form Irishman Padraig Harrington, whose best finish was tied fifth in both 2002 and 2008, is making his 15th visit.
A total of 37 European Tour Members will grace Augusta National’s hallowed turf, with five making their debut: namely Brooks Kopeka, Anirban Lahiri, Shane Lowry, Bernd Wiesberger and Danny Willett, the current Race to Dubai leader.
Willett won the first event of The 2015 Race to Dubai, the lucrative Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, which propelled him into the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he improved on that to finish 2014 in 50th place, earning an invitation to the season’s first Major.
“I knew I’d made it to Augusta by what I’d done at the end of last year, but there’s still nothing like holding the official invitation,” said the 27 year old. “It felt awesome. It’s obviously a big thing for me.
‘I’ve gained a lot of confidence from what happened at the Nedbank. To play pretty flawless golf for the last 36 holes on a tight course was very satisfying.”
