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Telegraph
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
The key to Rory McIlroy finally winning the Masters? His new ball
Fate and Michael Jordan can obviously be considered a formidable duo and Rory McIlroy is hoping that the pair's influence has helped him unlock the secret to finally winning here. The key could be wrapped up in a diameter of at least 1.680in and a weight of no more than 1.62oz. A change in ball might very well be the answer for the world No 2 as he tries, for the 11th time, to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam. Of course, professional golfers switch up their equipment and tinker with their bag all the time, but there was something about the manner in which McIlroy stumbled upon this replacement that could prove crucial – if not career-defining. McIlroy explained the chance encounter and the transfer to a ball that is hardly used on the PGA Tour, with Rickie Fowler one of the few others to employ the standard version. 'I was messing around at the Grove XXIII [the course owned by Jordan] at the end of January and there were some TP5 balls on the practice grounds and I just started to hit some chips,' he said. 'I'd been using the TP5X model, but I really loved how this new one felt. I loved how it was reacting around the greens and then I started hitting some 60 and 70-yard shots with it and it was coming off a much lower launch, but spinnier.' It was a eureka moment, particularly when McIlroy discovered that despite the softer ball, he did not lose any distance off the tee. McIlroy put it in play the following week at the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach and proceeded to win. He looked vastly improved in his approach shots from 150 yards and in – previously his glaring weakness – and the experts immediately took notice. And after another win at the Players Championship, the intriguing theory that the new ball could be the answer has gained traction. In that play-off against JJ Spaun, he hit a tee-shot on the infamous 17th that encapsulated the apparent upgrade in his renowned skill set. With the wind howling, McIlroy chose to take a 'knocked-down' nine-iron, taking off 30 or 40 yards with a protracted backswing. It was hardly a stunning return, as his ball came to rest 30 feet from the pin, but it was to be the title-winning moment. He played a similar shot to the 18th and said to Harry [Diamond, his caddie] 'that little shot will take us a long way'. All the way down the Magnolia Lane, to a Green Jacket? The scenario is certainly plausible. 'I will say Rory switching to a softer ball really does give us a greater hope for his success at the Masters this year,' said Brandel Chamblee, the former PGA Tour winner turned Golf Channel analyst. 'Because it's forcing him to get on top of it, it's forcing him to cover it. Paul McGinley [Chamblee's colleague] has been talking about this a lot, he talked about it at the Players. Off camera, after our interview with Rory, Rory talked about it with the three of us. 'I talked to Curt Byrum [another former Tour winner], who followed his group at the Houston Open two weeks ago, and he told me 'he's on top of it, flighting down these wedge shots'. That is the shot he needs at Augusta National. You've got to be able to sort of hold it off, trap it down, hit some cuts off hook lies and not hit that long left shot that has plagued him. So there's reason for the golf world to be excited about the possibility, and again, from a competitive standpoint, he's never gone into the Masters playing better or sharper.' 'He is that talented he can do anything with a golf ball' Pete Cowen sees Chamblee's point, but does not fully agree. The Yorkshire coach was brought in by McIlroy four years ago to fix his play with the lofted irons and was confused when he started. 'The thing with Rory is that he is that talented he can do anything with a golf ball,' Cowen told Telegraph Sport. 'I remember when I first met him when he was 13. I was in a consultancy role for the Irish amateur teams and they told me to look at this prodigy. He had everything, but he could not play the high, soft bunker shot that goes one bounce and then checks – bang, stop! 'He tried and tried in front of me, but just couldn't do it. He was furious with himself and said 'the next time I see you, I'll be able to do it'. I thought 'oh yeah, I'm coming back in a fortnight and there's no chance'. So I go back there and Rory is shouting 'Pete, Pete… come and see this'. He'd perfected it. He was about 5ft 2in and could do it perfectly. Incredible. He can do anything.' So why did so many of his approach shots fail so spectacularly? 'It was his distance control with his wedges and eight-irons that were the problem,' Cowen said. 'It was baffling because he could do it on the range. Any shot I asked of him, he could pull off and to any yardage. The knocked-down shots were easy for him. But then he'd go on the course and not even try to play that type of shot, even though it was clearly what was needed. I asked Harry about it and he said, 'I just don't think he's comfortable doing it'. 'The visual he loves seeing comes from his driver and it's in that window, way up high. He wanted to see his wedge shots in that same trajectory, in that same window, but it's too high for that supposed controlled shot – it should be 90 feet instead of 125 feet. It was a mental thing and maybe this change of ball was all he needed. 'I doubt it's made that much difference, but if he thinks it has, that's all that matters. It could be the missing piece in the jigsaw, although there is plainly scar tissue he has at the Masters. But he probably feels better armed than ever this time around, because he thinks he has distance control with his approach play and that confidence could be major.' Cowen uttered that last word with a wink. The veteran guru has not gone soft. This could be a whole new ball park for his former pupil.
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rory McIlroy ignores bogeys to find himself in Players Championship mix
A valiant closing birdie kept Rory McIlroy in the hunt for a second Players Championship crown after tough conditions here at the Stadium Course had seemingly forced the world No 2 out of contention. With the winds swirling – and the forecast for Sunday so wretched that the organisers of the PGA Tour's flagship event have moved up the tee-times for the final round – McIlroy was able only to post a one-over 73 to fall back to eight-under. However, his gallant three on the final hole ensured that the Northern Irishman still has an opportunity of reprising his 2019 glory, as he stands in fifth, four behind pacesetter JJ Spaun. McIlroy's hopes of netting the £3.5 million first prize appeared to have been extinguished when he three-putted the 17th for his fourth bogey of the day. Yet he dusted himself down and after splitting the fairway on the demanding par-four, he hit his approach from 156 yards to eight feet before holing the putt. It was such a welcome manner in which to conclude, particularly as he had been struggling with the putter all day. 'I played better than I scored,' he said. 'All the bogeys I made were really soft. Three-putt on the fifth, three-putted the 13th, three-putted the 17th. I feel like that's one of the hardest things. They slowed the greens down today for obvious reasons [because of the wind] and I didn't adjust very well to that. 'I'm not out of it by any means. The wind is supposed to still be blowing tomorrow, so yeah, it was nice to birdie the last just to get one closer to JJ.' McIlroy, 35, is right to be confident as he tries to add this piece of silverware to the AT&T Pro-Am he won last month at Pebble Beach. He is the quality performer in the upper echelons of the leaderboard and knows what it will take. 'Look, I could have shot something in the 60s today and I have to at least be encouraged by how I hit it and how I controlled myself,' he said. 'I just need to chip and putt better tomorrow. When you're a bit back, like I am, you'd rather have some testy conditions and if I can tidy up my game on and around the greens tomorrow, I feel like I'll have a really good chance.' Playing with McIlroy, Spaun, the world No 57, was courageous in a two-under 70 and is a shot clear of fellow American Bud Cauley, who leapt up the leaderboard courtesy of a 66. There are two shots further back to Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley. Fitzpatrick's struggles continue Scottie Scheffler has a faint sniff of an unprecedented third Players title in succession, the world No 1 shooting a 72 to stand on five-under alongside Scotland's Bob MacIntyre. Alas, it seems that England's wait for a first Players Championship title will continue after Tommy Fleetwood's challenge collapsed with four dropped shots in the last five holes. The world No 10's 75 caused him to drop back to four-under and outside the top 20. It could be worse, however – he could be Matt Fitzpatrick, who missed the cut to ensure his miserable season continues. He was in the world's top 10 a year ago, but has fallen outside the top 60 and needs to quickly turn around his form if he is to play in a fourth Ryder Cup in September. The 30-year-old has not recorded a top 10 since last May and on Friday responded to this woeful run by parting ways with his famous caddie, Bill Foster. Foster, 61, revealed that Fitzpatrick told him, 'it's not working' after finishing on six-over. The Yorkshire caddie is now looking for a new bag, with the Masters just three weeks away. In their time together, Fitzpatrick and Foster – who formerly worked for, among others, Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood – won the 2022 US Open. 'Well, after six great years all good things come to an end,' Foster posted on social media. 'This game never stops to frustrate you and infuriate you! Unfortunately times change and ultimately it is the caddie or the coach that has to accept results are not good enough and when you stop enjoying what you are doing, it is time for a change. Thanks Matt, we had a great run and who knows where the next chapter will go. Onwards and upwards.'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch Rory McIlroy's ‘slam dunk' hole-in-one
Rory McIlroy marked the first round of his PGA Tour year with that rarest of holes-in-one: an ace that did not even take a bounce or a roll before disappearing into the hole. After starting on the 10th at Spyglass Hill in the AT&T Pro-Am, the World No 3 was one-under after six holes and bemoaning two three-putts on the 11th and 14th, a pair of par-fives that he hit in two. The best method to avoid putting woes is to allow yourself the luxury of leaving the flat stick in the bag, as McIlroy proved on the 119-yard 15th. 119 yards ➡️ IN!For the second time in his career, @McIlroyRory has an ace on the PGA TOUR! — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 30, 2025 This was the 35-year-old's third hole-in-one in professional competition and, undoubtedly, the most unusual of the trio. The 'slam dunk' with a wedge into the cup required the greenkeepers to repair the turf around the pin, but by then McIlroy had already celebrated with his playing partner, Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg. Having achieved his first ace as a nine-year-old at his home course of Holywood in Belfast, McIlroy had to wait until his eighth year as a pro, at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Championship, to repeat the trick. His first on the PGA Tour came at the Travelers Championship in 2023 – but there was not another eight-year itch until he completed the hat-trick. Perhaps McIlroy would have preferred to wait until he teed it up on the revered Pebble Beach course in the second round on the Monterey Peninsula. But the Northern Irishman would not have been moaning, in his first appearance on the United States circuit for five months. He finished his first round six under par, one behind the early pacesetter Justin Rose and two off leader Russell Henley. Despite the California tournament featuring amateurs accompanying the pros in the first two rounds – McIlroy is joined by investment banker Jeff Rhodes – the 72-holer is one of the Tour's $20 million 'signature events'. McIlroy arrived in confident mood after finishing fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month on his seasonal bow. McIlroy was not the only one celebrating an ace, with his Irish Olympic team-mate Shane Lowry following suit at Pebble's signature seventh hole. AN ACE FOR THE LAD!@ShaneLowryGolf with an ace on one of the most iconic holes in golf @ATTProAm. — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 30, 2025 It was the third hole-in-one of Lowry's PGA Tour career that completed something of a 'holy trinity' of par-three hole-outs, having also achieved the feat at two of golf's most famous holes in the 17th at TPC Sawgrass and the 16th at Augusta National, home of the Masters. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler is making his first appearance of 2025 after suffering hand injuries because of a bizarre accident with a wine glass when trying to roll pasta on Christmas Day. The American, also playing his first round at Spyglass, finished one back from McIlroy with a five-under-par 67.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch Rory McIlroy's ‘slam dunk' hole-in-one
Rory McIlroy marked the first round of his PGA Tour year with that rarest of holes-in-one: an ace that did not even take a bounce or a roll before disappearing into the hole. After starting on the 10th at Spyglass Hill in the AT&T Pro-Am, the World No 3 was one-under after six holes and bemoaning two three-putts on the 11th and 14th, a pair of par-fives that he hit in two. The best method to avoid putting woes is to allow yourself the luxury of leaving the flat stick in the bag, as McIlroy proved on the 119-yard 15th. 119 yards ➡️ IN!For the second time in his career, @McIlroyRory has an ace on the PGA TOUR! — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 30, 2025 This was the 35-year-old's third hole-in-one in professional competition and, undoubtedly, the most unusual of the trio. The 'slam dunk' with a wedge into the cup required the greenkeepers to repair the turf around the pin, but by then McIlroy had already celebrated with his playing partner, Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg. Having achieved his first ace as a nine-year-old at his home course of Holywood in Belfast, McIlroy had to wait until his eighth year as a pro, at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Championship, to repeat the trick. His first on the PGA Tour came at the Travelers Championship in 2023 – but there was not another eight-year itch until he completed the hat-trick. Perhaps McIlroy would have preferred to wait until he teed it up on the revered Pebble Beach course in the second round on the Monterey Peninsula. But the Northern Irishman would not have been moaning, in his first appearance on the United States circuit for five months. Despite the California tournament featuring amateurs accompanying the pros in the first two rounds – McIlroy is accompanying investment banker Jeff Rhodes – the 72-holer is one of the Tour's $20 million 'signature events'. McIlroy arrived in confident mood after finishing fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month on his seasonal bow. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler is making his first appearance of 2025 after suffering hand injuries because of a bizarre accident with a wine glass when trying to roll pasta on Christmas Day. The American, also playing his first round at Spyglass, was level par after his opening eight holes. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monday Leaderboard: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy face off at last in TGL
Welcome to the Monday Leaderboard, where we run down the weekend's top stories in the wonderful world of golf. Grab an Arnold Palmer, pull up a chair and get ready for a battle of titans … Think what you will about TGL, the new indoor golf league — fun addition to the golf universe or strange made-for-TV aberration — but it's undeniable that we've arrived at the league's big moment. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, giants of two generations and the founders behind TGL, will meet for the first time Monday night. You probably don't much care about whether Tiger's Jupiter Links Golf Club can bounce back from its initial humiliation, or whether Rory's Boston Common Golf Club will shine its debut. But if you're a golf fan, you do care about seeing these two legends going head-to-head. It's not Sunday at Augusta, true, but it's still going to be fun, one way or another. The AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach tees off this week with a bit of extra juice. It's the second 'signature' event of the year, but the first to feature Scottie Scheffler, returning to the links for the first time since injuring his hand on Christmas. He'll be joined by McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and a whole bunch of other notable names, making this a true must-watch event. Scheffler had to have bits of glass surgically removed from his hand after breaking a wine glass, which means he'll probably only win by seven or eight. All due respect to the players who competed in this past weekend's Farmers Insurance Open, and the windy conditions at Torrey Pines, but this was a case study in why the game needs a shot clock, or slow-play penalties, or anything to keep the game moving. After the final threesome played the front nine holes in three hours, CBS analyst Dottie Pepper seethed. 'I think we're starting to need a new word to talk about this pace of play issue, and it's respect,' she said. 'For your fellow competitors, for the fans, for broadcasts, for all of it. It's just gotta get better.' TGL's shot clock has brought a renewed focus to the speed of play, and CBS's broadcasts are continuing the conversation … but not in a way that the PGA Tour would like. It's a generally-accepted truism that a golf ball rollback would improve the current pro game by bringing strategy back into course management, preventing players from bombing drives and wedging their way onto the green. Rollback's usage for casual players, however, is much less beneficial … and since several entities in the game are against 'bifurcation,' or using different rules for pros and amateurs, there's now some new pushback to planned rollback rules. New PGA of America commissioner Derek Sprague voiced his concerns just days after taking over the job. 'I don't know one recreational golfer that wants to hit it shorter,' Sprague told Golf Digest. 'I don't think we want 30 or 40 million golfers to go out and have to not only buy new golf balls, but now buy new equipment to match the new golf ball. So it really puts a burden on the recreational player.' It's all a matter of whom the rules are meant to serve, and whom they unfairly penalize. And the matter clearly isn't anywhere close to solved, no matter when the rules are enforced. Harris English entered Saturday's final round at the Farmers Insurance Open with a one-shot lead, then promptly gave it away with two early bogeys. But he rallied to win by one shot over Sam Stevens. It's English's fifth PGA Tour victory, and one achieved in the toughest conditions so far this year on Tour. Nice little trophy this time around for the Tour stop, a replica of Torrey's famous windswept pines. Would've been better if they were actual size, but we go with what we can get. (Does he get to keep the surfboard?) Don't try this at home. — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 26, 2025 Nice job of dodging disaster here from Max Homa. The rest of us would've ended up in the drink, guaranteed. That'll do it for this week, friends. Hit 'em straight and roll 'em true, and we'll see you back here next Monday.
