Rory McIlroy to Be Strategic, Play Golf, not Golf Swing

Just as Jordan Spieth has to win the PGA for a career Grand Slam, Rory McIlroy needs to win the Masters for his. As we’ve all seen, it’s not easy to do.  But McIlroy learned a few things about himself recently that should help.

First of all, he discovered that he was playing golf swing, not playing golf.

“I was getting a little too caught up in technical thoughts about my golf swing,” he admitted. “When you get so tied up in technical thoughts, you don’t visualize as well, you don’t see the shot you want to hit. You don’t try to shape shots as much.”

Once he realized that, he felt he was back on track. He won the CJ Cup in Las Vegas last fall, and he was in contention at the Arnold Palmer until winds blew half the field away on the weekend.

Second, he learned a great lesson playing with Dustin Johnson in the first two rounds of the 2020 Masters.  That was the one played in November.   DJ was 12-under par after 36 holes.

“Twelve under is a helluva score after two days here, but I wasn’t in awe of the way he played,” McIlroy admitted. “He put it in the right spots. He holed a few putts, and he took advantage of the par-5s, and he basically did everything that this golf course asks of you.”

Will a change in strategy this week help Rory McIlroy win the Masters?

That’s when McIlroy figured out that he didn’t have to blow everybody’s socks off with great shots.  He really needs to play more conservatively than he has.

McIlroy noted that Masters winners in recent years have all had great iron play. Augusta National, he thinks, tries to tempt you into going for pins that you shouldn’t try.

‘It feels like playing very negatively, playing away from trouble, not firing at flagsticks, not being aggressive.” — Rory McIlroy on new strategy

“It’s about being very disciplined with your approach play, knowing that, if you hit a wedge to 20 or 30 feet, that’s okay,” he said. “Middle of the greens, you hole a few putts, that’s what it’s about.”

He said it’s easy to recall the heroic shots, like Tiger Woods holing out from behind the 16th green or Phil Mickelson hitting off the pine straw from behind a tree.

“That’s just one golf shot,” he said. “The rest of the time, they’re doing the right things and being patient and being disciplined, and that’s what wins you green jackets.”

It worked for Jack Nicklaus six times.

Here’s where the problem comes in for McIlroy.

“It feels like playing very negatively, playing away from trouble, not firing at flagsticks, not being aggressive,” he said. “It feels like a negative game plan, but it’s not. It’s just a smart game plan. It’s playing the percentages.”

McIlroy still has plenty of time to win the Masters, and while he hopes it’s this week, if it isn’t, it isn’t the end of the world.

“I’ve always said time is on my side, and I’ll keep saying that until it isn’t,” he added. “I’m 32 years old with a ton of experience.”

It used to be that 33 was considered the prime of life for professional golfers.  That changed when young guys like McIlroy and Spieth and Morikawa came out and started winning majors almost right away. It changed the competitive landscape.

While McIlroy believes he’s prepared for the tournament, as much as one can be prepared for what Augusta National throws at you, he’s definitely taken a new interest in one activity: the Par 3 contest. That’s because his daughter Poppy is participating for the first time.

“It’s funny. When you don’t have children, the Par-3 seems like a bit of an afterthought, and then once kids arrive, it sort of becomes the highlight of the week in a way,” McIlroy said. “I’m looking forward to it. It will be fun to get out there tomorrow and watch her run around.”

McIlroy, it seems, is still learning about golf and life, both in a good way.