AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy had every reason to believe the Masters would be the first major he won. He was 21 with no scar tissue, only brown, curly locks spilling out of his cap. And most importantly that Sunday afternoon in 2011, he had a four-shot lead.
Now it’s the only major he hasn’t won. That’s been the chatter chasing McIlroy down Magnolia Lane for the last 11 years. And it’s never been louder.
Is this the year he joins the most elite club in golf with the career Grand Slam?
“It’s noise,” McIlroy said Tuesday at Augusta National. “It’s just trying to block out that noise as much as possible. I need to treat this tournament like all the other tournaments that I play throughout the year.”
Right.