Rory McIlroy’s in a best place mind, body and equipment wise heading into any Major Championship.
That’s the view of his assistant coach Dave Stockton who will meet with the double Major Champion later today (MON) at Augusta National.
And after being left red-faced by his crimson-coloured Nike clubs for the larger part of last season, there’s not been one question about his clubs since late last year when he came from behind to defeat Masters champion Adam Scott in the Australian Open.
“Every club he has in the bag he is happy with and Rory’s in a really good place mind, body and soul,” said Stockton.
“I look back to that Australian Open win as it was pivotal because not only did it keep alive a streak of Rory having won at least one event a year since 2009 but to end his year with a win was a great lift for him.
Dave Stockton watches Rory McIlroy tee off the 15th hole during a practice round ahead of the 2013 Shell Houston Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“But then I felt bad for him a few weeks ago when he lost out in a play-off for the Honda Classic because I would have liked to have seen him win, and I would love for him to have that eagle putt again at the 72nd.
“And while he lost out he learned from it and he bounced back pretty well from it.
“So while he hasn’t set the world on fire in Houston he’s still in a good place and I was pleased he competed in Houston after having three weeks off.”
During those three weeks between the Cadillac Championship and Houston, Stockton spent two of those weeks working with McIlroy at the exclusive Bear’s Club.
“We had a long practice session on his putting and easily more than two hours, and he was serious about as we started the lesson at 9am and we were about five minutes into it and I asked him to go through his routine,” said Stockton.
“That meant he had to bend down and he couldn’t. But that was only because he had been in the gym since 5.30am.
“So he’s put a lot into getting ready for this week and I just want him to enjoy it.
“All I am saying to him now is ‘nice putt, nice putt’ and his frame of mind is normally really, really good and that’s still very much the case so he’s right there.
Apart from captaining the 1991 winning USA Ryder Cup team in the now infamous ‘War on the Shore’ at Kiawah Island, Stockton captured to PGA Championships (1970 & 1976) and was runner-up in the 1974 Masters to Gary Player.
Stockton was second also in the 1978 US Open to Andy North while he competed at Augusta a dozen times from 1969 to 1981.
And while McIlroy has already tasted success in a US Open and the PGA, Stockton knows, probably like the majority of the golf world, it’s the Masters he still wants to win most.
“The Masters is top of Rory’s list given he came so close in 2011 and it was three weeks after that I first met him, and I knew he had learned from that experience two years ago,” said Stockton.
“From what at Augusta that year we worked at Charlotte and then at the BMW PGA at Wentworth and three weeks later he wins the US Open, and he was flawless.
“He changed from what I saw as a pace problem at the Masters because he and (Angel) Cabrera were out in the last group and Rory just played too fast.
“Not one then thought Rory would win at Congressional but he just blew them all away.
“So even though we know what happened at Augusta back in 2011 he’ll go there with no scars.”
And while Stockton will be working with some 10 players during this week’s Masters he admitted he especially likes working with McIlroy.
“I thought when he blew the Masters in 2011 that his speech versus Tiger’s speech was magnificent. Rory was sorry he didn’t do well and he didn’t back away from it, and what I also like about Rory is that given he’s already won two Majors by a total of 16 shots, he’s not going to change and I don’t think he ever will change.
“I work with Mickelson also well and I like the way he and Rory treat the people as they are both marvellous in dealing with the spectators and I am very impressed.
“And Rory’s easy to teach because you explain something to him and he works it out, and he is extremely mature beyond his years. He’ll ask intelligent questions and he will ask to explain why I am telling him something but never in a way that makes me have to work real hard at it.
“Then I’ve seen how Rory handles some really dumb questions from the media. I remember at Kiawah in the Ryder Cup and I had more fun with the British and European journalists than the US guys because I also knew what (Bernard) Gallacher was given them and that was next to nothing, and I was having fun with that.”
