Rory McIlroy delivered a best Masters blooper in some time brushing aside any chances former Augusta champion Ian Woosnam had of again winning the Masters.
McIlroy was asked to estimate how many of the 97 players competing in the year’s first Major were capable of being fitted with an Augusta National member’s jacket.
Rory Mcllroy staring at 2014 Masters draw.
However The double Major winner, who is making his sixth straight appearance in the Masters, was shown the opening two round draw sheet.
Sitting beside him dressed in his Augusta green jacket and acting as moderator was fellow Irishman John Carr.
McIlroy began reading down the list to pick out like champions and only got to the first name of the second match out when laughter erupted in boyishly righting off the 1991 Masters Welsh-born champion who won at just his fourth attempt.
Rory McIlroy’s mood during his pre 2014 Masters press conference.
“But looking down the list here there’s Stewart Cink, Tim Clark, Ian Woosnam, no; John Huh sorry, Woosie,” said McIlroy smiling.
“But I’m talking about the people that are playing regularly on the PGA Tour (laughing continues), sorry, Woosie, didn’t mean that.
“Seriously, you’ve got a lot of guys that can win, a lot of guys that have won PGA Tour events.
“Okay, we’re playing at Augusta, but a lot of these guys, the thing that I like, because it’s the Masters and because it’s so big or hyped up or whatever you want to say, you ought to remember that you are still playing against the same guys you play with week-in, week-out. So I’ve beaten them before. They have beaten me before.”
Two of the guys in the Americans Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, winner of the recent WGC – Cadillac Championship, will play with McIlroy over the opening two rounds.
Both are making their first appearance and with the 20-year old Spieth, who played in last year’s USA Presidents Cup side, having qualified in winning July’s John Deere Classic.
“So that’s why I’m saying, there’s so many guys here this week that will feel like they have a chance to win, because, it is Augusta and there is a certain element of experience that you need to play around here,” said McIlroy.
“You’ve got guys that are coming here for the first time, like Patrick Reed or Jordan Spieth, that I’m playing with the first two rounds, and they are going to stand on the first tee on Thursday and think, I’ve got a great shot at winning this tournament.
“They are guys here for the first time.”
And McIlroy agreed wholeheartedly with putting coach, Dave Stockton who last week in Houston, suggested McIlroy was in the best place mind, body and equipment going into any Major Championship of his career.
“Yes, I agree mind, body, equipment, it’s all there and there’s no excuses,” he said.
“There’s no excuses if I don’t play well this week. Everything’s in the right place to allow me to play well.
“So it’s just a matter of managing my expectations, not getting ahead of myself, not thinking about Sunday when it’s Friday afternoon. Just really keeping myself in the present and in the moment and trying to take it one shot at a time and hopefully those shots add up to about 270 and I walk away with a green jacket.
“Also, it’s just about not getting ahead of yourself and just letting all the practice and all the work that you’ve put in come out in your execution and just get out of your own way.”
