All eyes and ears were on him, taking in his every move, the swish of his driver slicing through thin air and then the pure sound, time and time again, of clubface hitting ball.
Rory McIlroy’s team stood behind him on the driving range, letting him do what he does, in his own world. Caddie Harry Diamond. Coach Michael Bannon. Mind guru Bob Rotella.
And with each swing came affirmation that the Northern Irishman’s latest bid for a green jacket at the Masters, the final piece in the jigsaw to complete the career Grand Slam, is a realistic ambition, a chance to add his name to the greats in golf’s most exclusive club.
The hard part, of course, is turning that picture-perfect practice session into numbers that add up on the golf course, as McIlroy seeks to become the sixth player to achieve the Slam.
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For McIlroy, most of all, the past nine months – ever since Cameron Smith burgled him out of the Claret Jug on the Old Course at St Andrews – have served as a countdown to this moment in time; and, having seemingly resolved issues with driver and putter, the two most important clubs in the bag, there is a sense of destiny calling him. Can he answer the call?
While the final day of practice brought beautiful sunshine, the forecast for the tournament itself has a foreboding promise of weather disruption with thunderstorms in the air but also a prediction (100 per cent chance, if you must know) of constant, heavy rain on Saturday which doesn’t look good for a Sunday finish and creates the potential for an extra day being required.
What’s an extra day, were it to pan out that way, for those 89 players – among them four Irish, with McIlroy, a runner-up last year, joined by Shane Lowry, third a year ago, Séamus Power and US mid-amateur champion Matt McClean – eyeing the great prize? Time, that’s all.
McIlroy’s 15th appearance in the tournament comes with, perhaps, greater expectations than ever, not least from himself, and at a time when he along with defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm have – at least in the world rankings – separated from all others into a new version of the Big Three.
While McIlroy, Scheffler and Rahm – “I think you’ve see a pretty high level of consistency from us so far this year, just good, healthy competition and hopefully we’ll continue to elevate ourselves through that competition and then the guys behind us will be nothing but motivated to get where we are,” said Scheffler – have seemingly moved to a new level, there’s an awareness too that this course, historically, is a great leveller with even shorter hitters finding a way to get the job done.
Certainly, McIlroy has appeared very much at ease over the past few days. The smiles have never been too far away, always a good sign, and there is also a comfort level with the new driver, with a shorter shaft, and Scottie Cameron putter that have made their way into the appropriately green-hued bag for this week.
And, in the week that’s in it, it has been no harm for McIlroy to have sports psychologist Rotella around.
“I feel really prepared. I think when you feel that way and you feel like you’ve done everything that you need to do, you sort of get into a different level of comfort. I think I’m pretty much there,” said McIlroy ahead of what will be his ninth attempt to complete the Grand Slam and add the Masters to his US Open, US PGA and British Open successes.
McIlroy’s annual quest to complete that particular quest – seeking to join five others: Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods – doesn’t seem so burdensome this time around and he enters as favourite in a market dominated by the so-called Big Three.
As Rahm observed of how the trio’s rivalry has spurred one another on, it’s about “being able to get it done” in terms of knowing how to win.
Indeed, the Spaniard’s record around Augusta National – four top-10s in six appearances and never failing to make the cut – surely indicates it being only a matter of time before he has a green jacket placed on his shoulders.
But, then, there are others fancying such attire. And especially so on a course where repeat winners believe they have an edge. Pencil in Jordan Spieth for one. Bubba Watson for another.
And, mentioning repeat winners, Scheffler’s bid to go back-to-back would enable him to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods in that rare breed of successfully defending.
Of course, the Irish challenge for this 87th edition of the Masters extends beyond just McIlroy with Lowry and Power entertaining realistic ambitions of contending and winning.
As Lowry described it: “You are focused on yourself. You are just trying to win this tournament. It is the Masters and there is a lot at stake at the end of it but it is another week [on tour] at the end of the day that you’re just trying to play golf.”
A rather special week, for sure. That green jacket is a coveted item, and whoever manages to add it to their wardrobe will need to have all components of their game . . . and, perhaps, need a little bit of luck too.
