This year, under very different circumstances due to his mother’s cancer surgery, Jason Day said Tuesday that his practice prior to the Masters wasn’t exactly what he was hoping for in search for his first green jacket.
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Now those are some of the reasons why Johnson is No. 1 in the world, and why he is such a strong favorite to win the Masters.
The Northern Irishman has spent two weeks in Augusta getting ready for his latest attempt to complete the career Grand Slam.
“I’ve done all the preparation I can”. “Obviously, over the previous year or so, I’ve gotten – I feel like my game’s gotten a lot better”, said Johnson.
“He said to me that he took on too much a couple of times and it cost him a couple of Green Jackets”, McIlroy told reporters on Tuesday.
“One of the things early on, maybe the first, second or third tournament I was in on the tour, I asked him, ‘What do you do after a round?’ He said, ‘I always drop the sponsor a note, ‘” Nicklaus said.
The 28-year-old American, who managed top-five finishes at all four Majors in 2014 without a victory, took his fourth US PGA title five weeks ago in the Honda Classic at PGA National, his first tour win after holding the 54-hole lead following four failures.
And five-time major victor Phil Mickelson, two months shy of his 47th birthday, will try to replace Jack Nicklaus as the oldest champion in Masters history. He is coming off one of the great putting seasons ever last year, but he hasn’t found his stuff so far this year.
Day admitted the recent difficulties faced by his family have made it tough for him to ensure he is in top form for the Masters – where his best finish is joint-second in 2011 – but suggested the positive news has quickly impacted his game.
Spieth selected a 9-iron previous year for a shot he hoped would go 152 yards at No. 12. “Use those invites to the best of my ability and try and follow in, I guess, Bryson (deChambeau) and Jon Rahm’s footsteps and get some status for 2018 here in the U.S”. “When they are saying nice things about you, that’s a good thing”. “I’m starting to get all my touch and feels back in my swing”.
“If it’s soft, obviously, it’ll definitely help, but with the forecast of wind on Thursday and Friday, the golf course is going to play very hard”, Johnson said. Then you can run up numbers pretty quickly.
The official Masters forecasters issued an update shortly after 11am, which read: “The warm front is moving through Augusta with rain and thunderstorms to the west”.
He has won three times in 2017, his past three events – the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club, the World Golf Championship Mexico Championship and the World Golf Championship Match Play.
“If it happens this year, fantastic”, he said.
“It’s never over”, McIlroy said.
Even in poor health, Arnold Palmer made one last trip to Augusta National. “It’s strictly the nature of what I think is appropriate in moving on and lifting up when you’re on a low”.
Watching the best players in the world fool around brings some light-hearted relief to the packed galleries during the practice rounds – and they love it.
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Rory McIlroy keeps an eye on his shot.
