Rory McIlroy feels confident he can banish the demons

Rory McIlroy, the man who made the 2011 Masters such a memorable week when he imploded on Sunday, came into the press centre at just before 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, and is determined not to make the same mistakes this time around.

“I feel I’m in a great place,” he said. “I feel like I’m a much more experienced player this year than I was 12 months ago. I feel like I’m a much better player.”

Just as he was saying this, the mobile phone in his pocket went off, and he looked for a moment like a naughty schoolboy. “Oh oh. No phones at Augusta,” he said, struggling to find it! “What phone,” said the Green Jacket interviewing him, joining in the merriment.

A lot has happened to the 23-year-old in the last 12 months. He has a new girlfriend, a new management company a major championship, and has been number one in the world.

“I learned a lot last year,” he said. “I learned I wasn’t ready to win the Masters, and that I wasn’t ready to win a major. Last year I tried to be too focused on Sunday, too perfect. That’s not me really at all. Looking at my body language on the tape, I needed to be more relaxed. I was looking at the ground the whole time, with my shoulders hunched, looking insular, as if I didn’t want to let the world in. That’s not really me. I’m more used to going around with a bounce in my stride, looking at everything going on.”

A really important difference from last year will be that both his parents will be with him. His father, Gerry, is a huge calming influence on him, and was there when he won the US Open last June. There won’t be endless games of American football in the evenings on the road outside his house. Instead, he will be “more grown up, more business-like.”

“I guess the biggest change in my game is my putting stroke,” he said. “After all the work I did with Dave Stockton, my putting stroke is a lot more natural now. There is a lot more feel to my stroke now.”

Rory is the second favourite at 5/1 behind Tiger Woods (4/1). But the American magazine, Sports Illustrated’s contention that the only two players in the race this week are these two seems way off the mark; and many experts are predicting this could be a classic week, with so many of the world’s top players playing so well. Thursday morning can’t come fast enough.

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