While his Valero Texas Open open bid may not be off to the flashiest of starts, Rory McIlroy has every chance of completing a career grand slam this weekend, something that has evaded the 32-year-old up to this point. The Masters is the only golfing Major that McIlroy is yet to win…and all the signs are pointing to a strong run from the northern Irishman.
Why Rory McIlroy can get it done next weekend
Augusta is a punishing golf course and victory at the Masters requires consistent ball striking and a calmness around the greens. If we look at Rory McIlroy’s metrics this year, it’s clear he’s playing some of his best golf.
On top of the fact he’s already had two top-10’s and a win this year, his statistical performances show even more staggering growth.
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 |
| Shots gained off the tee | .660 | .903 |
| Shots gained on approach | .403 | .128 |
| Shots gained around the green | .118 | .479 |
| Shots gained putting | .187 | .356 |
| Driving distance | 319 | 318 |
| Birdie average | 4.51 | 4.25 |
| Greens in regulation | 65% | 65% |
The most important ones to note here are putting and around the green. Sure, 2022 is obviously a small sample size right now, but it’s hard to disagree that McIlroy has approached this season with a new sense of energy.
The trends
Seven of the last ten winners have finished inside the top-10 before. While Mcilroy did miss the cut last year, he has seven finishes inside the top-10 to his name, and most impressively a T5 back in 2020.
On top of that, McIlroy hasn’t missed a cut at the Masters since 2010, with the exception of a 2021 year that was very much a transitional season for Rory and one that many deemed to be a slump. With the winter break behind him, McIlroy has burst out of the gate and it would be hard to picture him being anywhere near the cut-line next weekend.
In a weekend that’s going to be centered around the potential return of Tiger Woods, the spotlight being taken away from Rory Mcilroy is the perfect situation for that hunger to build up once again, as he looks to break out and cement his legacy as one of only six (currently five) golfers to win a grand slam.
You can bet on Rory’s Masters success below and get a free bet whilst doing so! His odds are currently +1800 so there is plenty of value to be had if you believe this is the year that Augusta will hear the roar.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire
