Rory McIlroy laments fatal flaw that could wreck his Masters dream
Rory McIlroy knows exactly what is wrong with his game after a dismal performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday.
The world number two produced a sensational six-under-par back nine on Saturday to climb into contention at Bay Hill, but he made a rotten start on Sunday and carded a four-over-par round of 76 to finish at one-over for the tournament, 14 shots adrift of champion Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy has been the best player on the PGA Tour this season off the tee, leading the field in strokes gained. He also found some form with his putter over the weekend in Florida, but it is his iron play that has cost him dearly so far this season.
The Northern Irishman ranks 152nd on the PGA Tour in 2024 for strokes gained in approach play and was 55th out of a 58-man field at Bay Hill, underlining how costly his play with the shorter clubs has been, with the four-time major champion frequently losing control of shots to his left.
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"Another great week off the tee. I feel like I found a good feeling with the putting the last two days as well. It's just the iron play that's let me down," a frustrated McIlroy told reporters at his post-round press conference on Sunday. "It's sort of been the same story for the last few weeks, struggling with a left miss with the irons.
"It's hard because the longer clubs, the woods, feel so good but the irons don't feel that good. I feel like I'm having to put two differing swings on the woods and the irons at the minute, which is a struggle. But everything else feels pretty good so if I can get the irons tightened up, I feel like I will be in a good spot."
McIlroy has struggled with his iron play this season (Brennan Asplen/Getty Images)McIlroy faces one of the toughest tests in golf this week as attention turns to The Players at TPC Sawgrass, a tournament McIlroy won in 2019. But he has struggled for form at Ponte Vedra Beach ever since, missing the cut twice in his past three appearances.
The four-time major champion feels in a great place with his game on the tee box, but he knows he must sharpen up with his irons if he is to contend for big victories this season, with The Masters – the missing piece in McIlroy's collection – just a month away.
"I'm going to Sawgrass next week super comfortable with how I'm hitting it off the tee," he said. "If you can get the ball in play there, I think that's half the battle. But then you've got very small, demanding greens that you've got to hit it on the right levels and be pretty precise with your approach play as well.
"For me in my head at the minute, it's the approach play because that's the thing I'm struggling with, but I've got three days to try to figure it out and get some work in. I think I will probably lead the field again this week with strokes gained off the tee for the third week in a row. Once I do that, the next part [approach play] is the key for me."
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