![\"Rory](\"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/travelers-championship2020-r2_mcilroy2_2.jpg\")
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And so, for the sixth time, Rory McIlroy heads into the Masters this coming week aiming to complete the career Grand Slam. It\u2019s been this way since April 2015, with the then 25-year-old Irishman having won the Open Championship at Hoylake the previous summer. It is, to borrow from the famously misapplied French phrase of baseball legend Yogi Berra, \u201cd\u00e9j\u00e0 vu all over again\u201d. The difference this time is that he\u2019ll be trying to do it in November.
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The last time he was on a golf course in competition, last month at Sherwood Country Club in the Zozo Championship (that is going to look so neat on Patrick Cantlay\u2019s CV: winner of the 2020 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP), McIlroy ended his first round by snapping his wedge in two after a (to be kind) lacklustre shot to the final green missed its target. The result was a 73, although he was rather better during the subsequent three days, playing the remaining 54 holes in 16 under par to finish eight shots behind Cantlay. Over the whole week, he made 29 birdies. \u201cThat\u2019s more than enough to win,\u201d he noted. \u201cI just need to cut out the mistakes.\u201d Indeed. Augusta National can be pretty unforgiving about those.
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Pins and precision. #themasters<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/T4birWOtmw<\/a><\/p>\u2014 The Masters (@TheMasters) November 1, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote> <\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In truth, though, the likelihood is that the majority of the attention, at least before the off on Thursday, is likely to focus on the guy who last won the Masters and the one who won the last major championship to be played. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFor Tiger Woods, an unlikely successful defence of his title would draw him level with Jack Nicklaus\u2019s record of six green jackets. (It would also draw him within two of Nicklaus\u2019s record of 18 majors.) I say \u201cunlikely\u201d because while it would be foolish to write Woods off completely the fact is that he has had only one top-10 finish all year \u2013 at another favourite venue of his, Torrey Pines, back in January \u2013 and I am indebted to the American golf writer Ron Green (no relation!) for pointing out that in six starts since the PGA Tour got underway again after lockdown Tiger has finished a cumulative 102 shots behind the winners of those tournaments. So, no, I won\u2019t be betting on him to match Jack.
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As for Bryson DeChambeau, he has had only one outing since he bashed Winged Foot to defeat at the US Open in September. He tied for eighth at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He will by now have presumably upgraded his bombing technique to the extent he will be hitting a wedge into every par-five for his second shot. Last month, Jordan Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, told a podcast about a conversation he\u2019d had with McIlroy and Justin Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI was like this guy has to lose the Masters to not win the Masters.\u201d Put another way, he wins if he doesn\u2019t get in his own way. Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean Spieth is right.<\/a> On the other hand, the \u2018Mad Scientist\u2019 is the clear favourite. William Hill quote him at 17\/2. McIlroy is third favourite at 11-1. (Jon Rahm is 10-1.) Tiger is out at 28-1, hardly an outsider but certainly an odds outlier compared to the days of his pomp and glory. Which is the goal for Rory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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You can follow Robert Green on Twitter @robrtgreen and enjoy his other blog f-factors.com<\/a> plus you can read more by him on golf at robertgreengolf.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"