AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Golden Bear is aware of a factor or two about Augusta Nationwide. In spite of everything, Jack Nicklaus received The Masters six instances and made 52 begins throughout his illustrious profession.
So when he picked Rory McIlroy to win earlier on Thursday morning, it got here as no shock. Each Gary Participant and Tom Watson picked him to finish the profession Grand Slam, one thing he has been attempting to do for 11 years now.
However Nicklaus, who admitted to having a latest dialog with McIlroy about the way to play the golf course, supplied a warning signal concerning the present World No. 2.
“The self-discipline is what Rory has lacked, for my part. He’s acquired all of the pictures. He’s acquired all the sport. He actually is as proficient as anyone within the recreation,” Nicklaus cautioned.
“However for those who look, return and see his historical past the previous couple of years, he will get to a spot plenty of instances when an eight or a seven pops up, and that retains you from attending to the place he must go.
“I’m a giant fan of Rory’s and I like Rory lots, in order that’s what I believe. However I believe clearly Scottie Scheffler is simply coming again in once more. He’s a defending champion, there’s no person enjoying any higher within the recreation than Scottie. Between the 2 of them, I believe you’re going to search out your winner.”
When McIlroy torched one other drive down the fifteenth fairway, he was 4-under par and in a tie with Scheffler, who already posted a 4-under 68 earlier within the day. One other birdie on 15 appeared believable, and the ‘Rory-Scottie’ present that ESPN’s Curtis Unusual predicted appeared to reside as much as the billing, a minimum of by spherical one.
Then McIlroy airmailed the fifteenth inexperienced, which is among the newer surfaces on the course. He laced a 4-iron from 238 yards out, however as an alternative of attempting to play a high-fade, which lands softer, he hammered a piercing draw. His method ignored the fifteenth inexperienced and landed about 10 yards past the floor, in an analogous location to the place Patrick Cantlay chipped it into the frontside pond moments earlier than.
McIlroy suffered the identical destiny.
He hammered his chip-shot, which rolled into the water, leaving McIlroy to put in writing down an aggravating ‘seven’ when it ought to have been a 5 at worst.
Two holes later, McIlroy air-mailed his method once more.
And as soon as extra, he hammered his chip-shot 20 ft previous the flag stick after which three-putted for a double-bogey six.
Within the blink of a watch, McIlroy went from probably enhancing his rating to 5-under to plummeting right down to even par for the championship. He signed for a 72.
Nicklaus’ warning got here true.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
