Phil Mickelsons ex-caddie has Masters | Golf News

Jim ‘Bones’ MacKay, the previous caddie for Phil Mickelson, is throwing his help behind Rory McIlroy to interrupt his main title drought and secure the elusive profession Grand Slam on the Masters.

MacKay, who has a storied historical past with Augusta National, helped information Mickelson to a few Masters victories during their partnership. The LIV Golf icon, set to play in 2025, as soon as displayed his true character within the Augusta parking zone after a Masters triumph, a second MacKay fondly remembers.

Although he did not attend the Georgia occasion final yr following his departure from Justin Thomas, MacKay now serves as an NBC analyst and is championing McIlroy’s quest for glory. The Northern Irishman, coming off two PGA Tour wins, is at the moment six-under par via two rounds, because of an spectacular efficiency on Friday.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, MacKay expressed his views: “I think Scottie Scheffler’s the favorite, but no question Rory McIlroy is the sentimental favorite,” he mentioned. “You would hate to see a guy like Rory play his entire career and not win the Masters and reap the benefits of the champions dinner and having that green jacket.

“He’s too good a man and has carried out an excessive amount of to the sport for that to not occur. As a lot as Scottie is the betting favourite, I secretly can be rooting for Rory to have a good week”, reports the Mirror US.

Early in his career, Rory McIlroy secured four major titles and seemed on track to bag the much-coveted green jacket in 2012. Yet, a harrowing final round of 81 derailed those hopes, something that Mackay fears might haunt the now 35 year old golfer.

Mackay observed that the treacherous grounds of Augusta National have a way of playing mind games with golfers, noting: “At Augusta National, it will probably definitely get in your head a little bit.

“It’s so much easier to win the tournament a second and third time than it is the first time,” he mentioned. He added, reflecting on Scottie Scheffler’s success, “Scottie [Scheffler] is always going to have that green jacket. He’s always going to come back to the Tuesday night dinner, and Rory desperately wants to be a part of that.”

Commenting additional, Mackay underscored that whereas McIlroy’s approach is good for Augusta National’s course, profitable there’s more about mental stamina than bodily prowess.

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McIlroy lately got here excruciatingly close to breaking his main title fast on the 2024 U.S. Open, however his rivalry was thwarted by two narrowly missed putts during the closing phases—permitting Bryson DeChambeau to seize the crown. Nevertheless, paired with Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia, McIlroy made a spectacular climb up the leaderboards after an underwhelming first spherical.

Lightning up the back 9, McIlroy notched consecutive birdies on the par-four tenth and eleventh holes, coupled with an eagle on the par-five thirteenth, adopted by yet one more birdie on the par-five fifteenth. Come Saturday, all eyes can be on McIlroy as he steps onto the legendary greens at Augusta National for his third spherical.