Rory McIlroy warned his ‘faults have been exposed’ as Masters fears grow

Rory McIlroy has been given a stern warning ahead of the Masters after his weaknesses were ‘exposed’ at the Players Championship. The four-time major winner had an eventful, albeit frustrating, tournament at TPC Sawgrass. He started off well with 10 birdies on Thursday as part of a round of 65. However, his performance in the second round was unpredictable as he hit five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey to end one-over 73.

On day three, he made six birdies with one bogey and a double-bogey, signing for a 69. McIlroy finished the Players on nine-under, 11 shots behind winner and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy’s inconsistencies in Florida will leave him with some worries ahead of the upcoming Masters, which will see some of LIV Golf’s top players return to the fold.

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley shared his thoughts on McIlroy’s performance at TPC Sawgrass after the third round. He expressed concern over McIlroy’s inconsistency. McGinley admitted: “He is battling with his game and it’s not coming easy at the moment for McIlroy. A bit of band aid going on, trying to play with a fade that worked well for him on the first day… His faults were exposed the last couple of days, with water balls off the tee in particular, but he’s putting quite decently.”

McGinley added: “He’s well capable of something but the problem is not getting to nine, it’s the quality of players ahead of him… They’re all going to go forwards and certainly one or two are probably going to get in the 60s, so I would say his race is run.” McGinley’s prediction turned out to be true, as Scheffler stormed to victory by posting an eight-under round on the final day to snatch victory from Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark. McIlroy will now focus on the upcoming Masters, which kicks off on April 11.

His outspoken views on LIV in recent years mean he’s unlikely to avoid attention when he arrives at Augusta. He’ll be up against some of the top players from the Saudi-backed circuit at the Masters, including Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and recent rebel Jon Rahm. We’re all waiting to see if McIlroy can ignore the chatter and finally win that first green jacket next month.