Rory McIlroy has reason to believe at The Masters, posts best in 10 years at Texas Open

Rory McIlroy changed his approach to the Masters this year. He made the unlikely choice to play in this week’s Valero Texas Open. In the past, McIlroy typically didn’t play the week before teeing up at Augusta National.

After a rocky first few rounds, it appears to have been a wise decision for the four-time major champion.

McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday, setting a new personal record. Lowest score in the final round He has played in the Masters since the 2014 Houston Open. At the time, he shot a final round 65 and finished tied for eighth at the Masters.

“I’m in better shape than I was a few weeks ago. Yeah, it was nice to see a round like this today,” McIlroy said after the round.

However, 8th place is already the limit for McIlroy. He has won the U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship, and is still aiming for a career Grand Slam.

His great play on Sunday propelled him up the leaderboard, finishing in third place. That alone may not give you the confidence you need to catch a green jacket.

But his iron play this week is very possible.

McIlroy gained 1.88 strokes on his approach this week at TPC San Antonio.it’s his best performance It’s the first company to do so since Wells Fargo in 2019, according to The Athletic’s Justin Ray.

McIlroy really struggled with the irons all year on tour. Entering this week, he had yet to earn a top-10 finish in a PGA Tour event.

That led to a recent visit with famous swing coach Butch Harmon.

McIlroy admitted they were working on his swing, especially his approach. The effort appears to have paid off.

The only question is: Can the Northern Irishman make history and become only the sixth player in history to complete golf’s Grand Slam? We’ll find out next week at Augusta.

Kendall Capps is the senior editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social media platforms.