Palm Beach Gardens, Florida …
Former U.S. Open and Open Champion Rory McIlroy is not the first to admit the conditions over first two rounds of the Honda Classic are far from warm-up prepartions for the up-coming Masters.
The bright but very windy conditions have played havoc with the game’s best including the past three Honda champions in Rickie Fowler (71 & 76), Adam Scott (73 & 72) and Padraig Harrington (76 & 76) set to miss the five-over par cut.
Rory McIlroy making a point after his 2018 Honda Classic second round. (Photo – @tourmiss)
McIlroy capped his with two birdies, including starting his round from the 10th and holing an 11-footer.
Though sticking out like a dog’s hind leg was a triple bogey ‘6’ at the par-3 17th or the eighth hole of his round when he found the water guarding the green with a 5-iron shot and then found a rear greenside bunker with his third.
McIlroy then delighted in holing a testy six-footer for par at the last.
“The first two rounds are not much like preparing for the Masters,” said McIlroy.
“It’s sort of Open conditions, U.S. Open scoring. Yeah, pretty much the preparation for everything but what we want it to be. Yeah, I guess the greens are getting a little fast, so that’s one thing.
“Seems like it’s been quite blustery the last couple years at Augusta, anyway. But yeah, it’s probably the furthest thing from Augusta right now around here.”
It prompted the question what McIlroy’s March preparations entailed given he is playing three events – the Valspar, Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC – Dell Match-Play in Austin, Texas.
“I’m just looking for my game to be in good shape,” he said.
“Being able to hit the shots that I see and different flights and being comfortable with everything, and that’s basically it. I’ve always said, you can do as much preparation as you want in tournaments, but if you can’t step up and execute the shots, then preparation means nothing.
“So the biggest thing is just having your game in shape.”
