McIlroy warned over Masters distraction before | Golf News

Paul McGinley believes the deck is stacked against Rory McIlroy retaining his Masters crown due to his back drawback and the quite a few tasks positioned on defending champions.

Five-time major winner McIlroy will start his protection of the Green Jacket on April 9 in Georgia, 12 months after his dramatic playoff victory over Justin Rose. The preparation for last yr couldn’t have been superior, claiming two victories on the PGA Tour before reaching Augusta National.

The build-up has been markedly different this yr. He gained traction with a runner-up end at The Genesis Invitational in February, but he was pressured to pull out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks later with a minor back drawback. He managed to end 4 rounds at The Players the next week, but ended properly behind the lead in T46, and he took the decisive step to relaxation for three weeks prior to the Masters. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has been given very surprising advice after another scary car crash.

Tradition and spectacle are elementary parts of Masters week, with organizing the Champions Dinner among an in depth checklist of duties on McIlroy’s schedule.

Former Ryder Cup captain McGinley, an analyst for Golf Channel and Sky Sports, believes the absence of aggressive rounds and a hectic week away from the course in Augusta may derail the world No. 2’s aspirations of attaining consecutive titles.

“He got disrupted in Florida, and it really cost him two tournaments, Bay Hill, where he was doing OK after two rounds and had to pull out with a back injury, and the following week [at The Players], when he actually did play, but with no preparation. He finished well down the field and his stats were well off the pace there,” McGinley told Sky Sports News.

“So it is a bit worrying. He did get distracted, although he says he’s over the injury now and he’s taken a few weeks off. He’s at home in Florida practicing and getting ready.

“But it is always troublesome to defend at the Masters. There are so many obligations you might have as a defending champion, not just internet hosting the dinner on Tuesday night time for past champions. You know, he’ll most likely be around there at the women’ event before that and possibly even the Drive, Chip and Putt for the youngsters the day before.

“So there are a lot of obligations, a lot of pressure, a lot of scrutiny, but I guess nothing like he had last year when he was on the verge of trying to win a Grand Slam, and eventually getting over the line in such incredible circumstances.”

McGinley maintains McIlroy can’t be ruled out as a challenger, but he believes the Northern Irishman’s strongest alternatives to seize a major will arrive later in the yr. “I think the distraction coming in for the Masters is going to be difficult for him to deal with, and once he gets through this Masters, he needs to reset himself on winning major titles again,” McGinley continued.

“He may well raise a gallop at the Masters. His form and his injuries in the past few weeks suggest that maybe he is going to be off the boil.

“It goes to be fascinating to see how he handles all of that, but it’s a golf course that fits him, and he is going back to unbelievably strong reminiscences from last yr. Of course, you are not going to low cost him.”