McIlroy refuses to panic as he slips five behind hot favourite Scheffler at Augusta
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 18 tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 12, 2024.
Rory McIlroy was looking on the bright side after he scrapped his way to a one-under 71 but found himself five shots behind playing partner Scottie Scheffler at the Masters.
The world number two admitted he was not at his best on a blustery day at Augusta National, but while he was frustrated he failed to birdie the 15th or 16th and bogeyed the 17th, he is not pressing any panic buttons just yet.
“I’m definitely not out of the tournament or chasing anything tomorrow,” said the Holywood star, who feels he can keep still a close eye on Scheffler, whose bogey-free 66 left him just a shot behind leader Bryson DeChambeau.
While he didn’t notice LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman watching him from the gallery — "I did not; didn't see him" — he had to admit world number one Scheffler got his attention.
“Yeah, I think when they're playing with you it's hard not to notice,” he said of Scheffler’s effortless-looking 66.
“Scottie does such a good job of -- it doesn't look like it's six-under-par, and then at the end of the day, it's six-under par. He's just so efficient with everything.
“If you look at Scottie compared to the rest of the field, the amount of bogey-free rounds he plays and he shoots is phenomenal.
"And that's the secret to winning major championships and winning big-time golf tournaments — it's more limiting the mistakes rather than making a ton of birdies.
“I made three bogeys today, which is fine out there in these conditions, but just need to tidy it up a little bit to try to keep up with him.”
McIlroy’s mood brightened as the post-round interviews progressed but he was not altogether thrilled that his 71 was his best opening round for six years.
“Is it? That's sort of embarrassing if it is, but that's a good thing,” he said. “Yeah, I guess. I kept it together. I stuck to my game plan.
"Didn't birdie two of the par-5s on the back, which was a little disappointing. But getting in in red numbers was decent.”
The Holywood star got off to a nervy start, missing a 10-footer for birdie at the first before taking six at the par-five second following a string of mistakes.
Miles right in woods off the tee, he took a quick bathroom break and slashed a hybrid to within 100 yards of the pin only to airmail his target by 15 yards before three-putting from just off the green.
He got that shot back with a chip and putt birdie from the edge of the third but bunkered his tee shot short at the fourth and slipped to one over.
He was two shots adrift of a nonchalant Scheffler, but he did not panic and took advantage of a massive 354-yard drive at the eighth to two-putt from 25 yards for birdie to get back to level par.
He then birdied the 12th from 10 feet after Scheffler had holed a bunker shot for a two. But he failed to birdie the par-five 13th, where Scheffler was fortunate to come up on the bank of Rae’s Creek and got up and down to move to four-under.
McIlroy replied with a lovely birdie three from 14 feet at the 14th. But he did well to avoid water at the 15th and made only par as Scheffler two-putted from 12 feet for his fifth birdie of the day.
When Scheffler stitched his tee shot at the 16th, McIlroy gave himself a six-footer to match him but missed and fell five strokes behind the world number one when he bogeyed the 17th.
Despite the scoring difference with Scheffler, he put on a brave face.
“Yeah, it was okay,” he said. “I held it together well. It was a little scrappy. The conditions are tricky. Hard to fully commit to shots out there at times just because the wind is -- if it's across, it feels down at one point and then into. It's hard to commit to where the wind direction is at times.
“But yeah, I think after the slow start sort of making a few birdies around the turn was good. “A little wasteful coming in. I had a good chance for birdie on 15 in the middle of the fairway and didn't take that. Missed a shortish one on 16 and then the bogey on 17. “Probably turned a three-under into a one-under there at the end. But overall still not a bad score, and obviously a lot of golf left to play.”
Asked if Scheffler’s round added to the pressure on his shoulders, he said: “No. You just focus on your own game. It's great to play alongside Scottie, who is the best player in the world right now, and to see how he is getting himself around the golf course.
“In that way, it's a good thing. When I saw the draw, playing with Xander and Scottie, two of the best players in the world, it was a nice draw, and looking forward to being out there with them again tomorrow.”
His goal now is to break 70 today and edge closer to the top of the leaderboard.
“I sort of like these conditions in major championships because you don't feel like the field is going to get away from you too much,” he said. “Obviously Scottie and Bryson have shot really good scores today but with the conditions over over the next 24 hours you know, Scottie played a lot great golf today and you know, there's a pretty good likelihood that he'll go out and play pretty similar tomorrow.
“But I just have to play my own game and I know that if I play the way I know that I can play right now, I can shoot something in the 60s and be in a good position going into the weekend.”
