Before Rory McIlroy went to Houston to tee it up in the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he made a pit stop at Augusta National Golf Club.
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HOUSTON—BeforeRoryMcIlroywenttoHoustontoteeitupintheTexasChildren’sHoustonOpen,hemadeapitstopatAugustaNationalGolfClub.
TheMastersbeginstwoweeksfromThursday,whereMcIlroywilllooktocompletethecareergrandslam.Itwillbehis11thtimeplayingtheMasterswithachancetofinishtheslam,butthisyearhecouldarguablysupplantworldNo.1anddefendingchampionScottieSchefflerasthefavoritethankstohisrecentplay.
McIlroycapturedtheAT&TPebbleBeachPro-AmontheWestCoastSwingbeforewinninghissecondPlayerstitlelastMonday,toppingJ.J.Spauninathree-holeaggregateplayoff.HeaddedMemorialParkGolfCourseashisfinalstartbeforetheyear’sfirstmajor,buthisprepforAugustaNationalstartedthisweek.
Whydidhegoto,andwhatdidhenoticeduringhispracticeround?
“Iusethosetripsjusttorefamiliarizemyselfwiththeplace,clubsofftees,lookingtoseeiftheychangedanygreens,”McIlroysaid.“There’sfourgree
