LIV Golf star spots frightening McIlroy sign | Golf News

Tom McKibbin said defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy made a few holes look easy forward of the opening spherical at Augusta National.

McIlroy is pursuing another Green Jacket after writing his title into the file books last yr as one of just six golfers to secure the profession Grand Slam, while fellow Northern Irishman McKibbin is making his maiden Masters look in 2026 at just 23 years previous.

McKibbin also performed alongside McIlroy before his debut, and said he is making holes look easy at Augusta National. McKibbin famously went against McIlroy’s advice by snubbing the PGA Tour to be part of LIV Golf.

McIlroy went out early to play 18 holes, while McKibbin started Tuesday on the back 9 at 9:00 a.m. and the World No. 2 had joined them around the par-five, fifteenth gap, better recognized as Firethorn at Augusta National.

“We played the last four holes. It was pretty nice,” said McKibbin, experiences <a href=”https://www.themirror.com/sport/golf/tom-mckibbin-rory-mcilroy-augusta-1779920″>the Mirror US</a>.

“Obviously he won here last year, and it’s sort of cool to play a couple holes with the defending champ. It was nice. He made those last couple holes look pretty easy.”

Last yr, McIlroy’s shot on 17 rolled completely to within a few ft for birdie, handing him a one-stroke benefit heading into the ultimate gap. He in the end defeated Justin Rose in a playoff.

“I asked him about his second shot into 17,” said McKibbin. “It was pretty incredible. Then he showed me sort of how close he had hit it. And, yeah, sort of coming down the stretch last year under that pressure and pull off some of those shots he did was really cool.”

McIlroy struck what many are calling the ‘shot of a lifetime’ on the fifteenth gap and is eyeing additional major victories this season. The Ryder Cup standout has yet to secure a win on the PGA Tour in 2026, with his best consequence being a tied second-place end at the Genesis Invitational.

“I think it goes back to the — what I was just saying before about staying aggressive,” McIlroy said forward of the match.

“I think Augusta over the years has made me quite tentative at times, especially with approach play, and I think once you get tentative, you can start leaving yourself in some really bad spots, and it’s hard to get up-and-down.

“So I feel staying aggressive around there. I performed a apply spherical with Phil Mickelson, possibly, I do not know, 10 or 15 years in the past, most likely nearer to 15 years in the past, and I always keep in mind he said to me, “Rory, one of the reasons I love Augusta National is because I feel I can be so aggressive here.

“I keep in mind pondering, “What does he mean?” I really feel the other. I really feel I can not be aggressive right here because there’s so many unhealthy locations to miss.

“But Phil had so much – still has, probably, so much faith in his short game that if he does miss an approach shot by being aggressive, he still feels he can get that ball up-and-down.”