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Rory Mcilroy has been one of the biggest names in golf for more than a decade now and at the age of 33 he is potentially just about coming into what should be the best years of his career. Mcilroy’s last major triumph was incredible at the 2014 PGA Championship when he beat Phil Mickelson by one shot in a late finish at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.
If you’d told anyone in golf that nine years later he would still just have four major championship wins to his name then you would have been laughed out of the room but things just haven’t worked out at golf’s biggest events for the Northern Irishman ever since.
Victory at the Masters would ensure a career grand slam for the world number two and he is arguably never been in better form heading to Augusta. So, can he finally win it this year?
Rory Mcilroy’s Form this Season
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After finishing 2022 as the number one golfer in the world, Rory Mcilroy has since lost that status to Scottie Scheffler, via Jon Rahm. Despite that, Mcilroy has done okay in 2023 and won the Dubai Desert Classic in January on the DP World Tour.
His performances on the PGA Tour haven’t been quite as good and he had a miserable time at the Players Championship at the beginning of March. In what is considered “the unofficial fifth major” by many, Mcilroy missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass which meant he could do nothing to stop Scottie Scheffler from winning the tournament.
Worryingly, that was the last time that Mcilroy played in a stroke play event which would be a concern under normal circumstances. However, he finished third in the WGC-Dell Match Play at the end of March and enjoyed a big win over Scheffler on the final day to finish third overall for the tournament.
Best Result
Victory at the Dubai Desert Classic with a score of -19 for the week.
Last Result
Third place at the WGC-Dell Match Play.
Rory Mcilroy’s Masters Record
Rory Mcilroy has played in the Masters on 14 occasions but is yet to get his hands on the famous green jacket. He has finished in the top ten on seven occasions and has come close to winning a number of times.
His second-placed finish in 2022 represents his highest-ever finish at the event although the year that will still scar him to this day is 2011. At the age of 21, Mcilroy went into the final round with a four-shot lead and retained the advantage heading into the final nine holes. However, the pressure got all too much for him and he ended up finishing tied for 15th after a series of double and triple bogeys.
Mcilroy has only failed to make the cut on two occasions, which is pretty good going over a 14-year stretch. He will be confident that he won’t be adding to that particular tally this year and justifying his status as one of the favourites.
Odds on Rory Mcilroy to Win the Masters
Rory Mcilroy is the second favourite going to win the event with most bookmakers. His odds are around the 15/2 mark which represents fantastic value considering how well he has played at Augusta National over the years and his recent form.
The only man with lower odds is Scottie Scheffler, who is just happening to be enjoying the best 18 months of his career at this moment in time. Mcilroy will be hoping that his match-play victory over Scheffler at the WGC-Dell two weeks ago could give him a psychological advantage over his rival this week.
Who is Mcilroy playing with at the Masters?
The tee times for the opening two rounds of the Masters were announced on Monday afternoon and Mcilroy faces a long wait on the opening day of the tournament. This could work in his favor if conditions are unfavorable in the morning but it could also work against him if any of the early starters get off to a flying start.
It will mean that the Northern Irishman will feel like he’s playing catch-up from the get-go, however, on the flip side it will also mean that he knows exactly what he needs to do when he starts. Mcilroy be will be playing alongside Sam Burns and Tom Kim on Thursday and Friday at Augusta National.
First Round Tee Time
- 18:48 UK time
Second Round Tee Time
- 15:42 UK time
Rory Mcilroy Masters Prediction – top 10 finish
We don’t believe that this will be the year that Mcilroy breaks his duck at the Masters. Before his performance at the Players Championship last month, we would have probably backed him to win the green jacket but his dismal performance at Sawgrass has put enough doubt in our minds.
Despite that, Mcilroy usually plays well at the Masters and we think he will certainly be in the conversation come Sunday. A top-ten finish feels like a safe bet.
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