Let’s face it, if you’d offered Rory McIlroy – or any of his fans – a two-shot deficit to the leader after the opening round, he – and they – would’ve reached for your hand, double-quick.
After all, he’d been seven behind Justin Rose at this stage last year, and the only time he’d been better than three shots adrift was in 2011 when he and Álvaro Quirós shared the first-round lead, and the less said about that year, the better.
So, it’s safe to say that Rory was a pretty happy man when he made his final calculations in the scoring hut and signed for a 67 that gave him another share of the lead alongside Sam Burns.
As the saying goes, there are no pictures on a scorecard, but we have no shortage of stats at our fingertips. Five of 14 fairways hit is one that immediately jumps out. For a player generally regarded as the finest driver of his generation, that doesn’t make pretty reading, but as he admitted himself in his post-round interview, in his 18th appearance at the Masters, he’s pretty much traipsed every inch of the Augusta National grounds, so he knows better than most that there’s usually some sort of recovery shot available.
You still have to have the nerve and execution to pull it off though. One the first, fifth, and seventh holes, he had small windows to work with and managed to save par the hard way. On the second, 13th and 15th, he took his medicine and trusted that his wedge game and putter – for so long the major Achilles’ Heels in his bag – to do what was necessary.
The only blemish on his card came on the third, but after his tee shot, it was a professional bogey, each subsequent stroke ensuring that he’d have a chance of making four and virtually no chance of making six. And of the 67 shots he took, the fifth shot on that hole was probably rounded up to one-inch in length.
Perfection in golf is unattainable, therefore, it’s never needed. All you have to do is be good enough to beat the other 90, 119, 155, or however many players are in the field. Easier said than done, of course, but golf tournaments are marathons, not sprints, so if one facet of your game is off, being dialled in with the others will stand you in good stead.
Despite those five of 14 fairways, Rory still ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, but was 13th in Strokes Gained: Putting, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green, and fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach.
You’d expect those driving figures to improve over the remaining three rounds, and if they do, the approach play won’t need to be quite as good. But it’s still very much a second shot golf course, and if it continues to play firm and fast over the next three days – and all signs suggest that it will get more fiery as the week goes on – this is where the tournament will be won and lost.
We’re only a quarter of the way there, but it’s as good a start as he could’ve hoped for. Had he not slayed his white whale last year, you’d have to think that he’d have been closer to 77 than 67 given where he drove it early on, but that’s the luxury that finally having that monkey off his back has afforded him.
Finally ending that major drought was supposed to free him up for the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship last year, but it didn’t really. Maybe it took getting back to Augusta National, setting up station in the Champions’ Locker Room, and hosting the Champions Dinner to finally do that.
And maybe after more than a decade of unrequited love, Augusta National is starting to return Rory’s affections and we’re starting to see the beginnings of a passionate love affair.
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