RORY MCILROY HAS consulted Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon as he prepares to make his 10th attempt to complete a career Grand Slam.
McIlroy needs to win the Masters to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods as the only players to have tasted victory in all four Major championships.
The world number two started the year well with victory in the Dubai Desert Classic in January, but his form on the PGA Tour has been underwhelming ahead of this week’s Valero Texas Open.
“I went last week to see Butch Harmon for a golf lesson,” McIlroy told PGA Tour professional Morgan Hoffmann on the “I Can Fly” podcast.
“I’ve seen him over the years, like once every few years I’ll say, ‘Hey, Butch, can I just come see you and you can take a look and see what you think.’”
McIlroy added that as he was leaving for the airport – Harmon is based in Las Vegas – his daughter Poppy asked him where he was going.
When he said he was going for a golf lesson, McIlroy said:
She said, ‘Dada, you already know how to play golf.’ That’s probably the best piece of advice I’ve gotten in the last three years.”
McIlroy’s long-time coach is fellow Northern Irishman Michael Bannon, although the four-time major winner has also worked with Pete Cowen.
Speaking before the Players Championship last month, where he carded an opening 65 before fading to a tie for 19th, McIlroy revealed the reasons behind his current struggles.
“I have this amazing feeling with my woods at the minute, but when I try to recreate that feeling with the irons, it starts left and goes further left,” McIlroy said.
“I have a swing thought for my woods and I need a different swing thought for my irons and that’s what I’ve been working on over the last couple of days. I feel like every other part of the game is in great shape.”
- Thomas splits with caddy Bones -
TWO-TIME MAJOR champion Justin Thomas announced that he has split with veteran caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, barely a week before he is set to tee off at the Masters.
“While incredibly difficult for me to say, Bones and I have parted ways,” Thomas posted on X. “I’m going to be forever thankful for him joining me on the bag in 2021.
“The things we’ve been able to accomplish together — the PGA Championship in 2022, the Presidents Cup, the Ryder Cups were all unforgettable experiences. His wisdom on and off the course has been a blessing during a tough stretch of my career and he was there every step of the way.
“I know there are great things coming for both of us down the road. I wish him the best of luck and will always count him and his family amongst my friends.”
It is unclear who will carry the bag for Thomas when he tries to win a green jacket on 11-14 April at Augusta National.
Mackay, 58, was the bagman for Mickelson for five of his six career major triumphs, including all three of his Masters victories.
He also caddied for Thomas when he won the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, the most recent professional win by the 30-year-old American.
Thomas missed last year’s PGA Tour playoffs but had a solid start to the 2024 campaign with four top-12 finishes in seven events.
– Additional reporting © AFP 2024
