The Masters: Can Rory McIlroy Vault Himself Into Contention?

Rory McIlroy is still in pursuit of his career Grand Slam at this year’s Masters. After making the cut at level par, several shots back of the 36-hole leaders, can he vault back into contention at Augusta National?

Rory McIlroy, in pursuit of the career Grand Slam, has disappointed through two rounds at the Masters. He fired a one-over 73 on Thursday at Augusta National, but seemingly gained momentum Friday with an electrifying eagle at the 8th.

Sadly, the Northern Irishman could not find his groove on the back nine, and limped home with a one-over 37 to finish with a 71 for the day. Par 5 scoring is crucial, and Rory could not capitalize on the two reachable par-5’s; he bogeyed the short 13th and could not make a birdie on 15 after he found himself in a sticky situation: in a marshal’s golf cart.

The normally explosive McIlroy has only six birdies (with the one eagle) through two rounds, leaving him seven shots off the pace. So, does he have any chance to contend for the Green Jacket Sunday afternoon?

The short answer: yes. The pre-tournament favorite is one of the most talented players in the game and has consistently gone low all season. He ranks 3rd for the 2018-19 PGA Tour season with a 69.594 scoring average, and is 12th on the Tour with over 4.5 birdies per round. Combine that with the fact that Rory is the leader in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and averages over 312 yards off the tee and the four-time Major Champion can definitely take advantage of the scoring holes at Augusta National.

Furthermore, pressure was at an all-time high for Rory coming into the week; he was playing some of his best golf and punctuated a fantastic stretch of high finishes with a win at The Players. McIlroy has never been shy talking about the mental side of his game, and there is tremendous weight on his shoulders to complete the Career Grand Slam.

As Rory said earlier this week, “I think sometimes I’m too much a fan of the game because I know exactly who has won the Grand Slam and I know exactly the people I would be putting myself alongside”

Now, seven shots back going into Saturday’s round, Rory can play loose and try like hell to shoot a low number. All the pre-tournament expectations have melted and the Northern Irishman can just play the game he loves.

Of course it will not be easy; 36 players are currently in front of Rory, and he will likely need to fire a 66 or better on Saturday. But the uber-talented McIlroy has the necessary firepower and low enough expectations to vault himself into the Sunday conversation.