McIlroy takes aim at Tiger's record

Rory McIlroy
12 April 2012

If Rory McIlroy wants to become the youngest Masters champion in history - a position currently held by Tiger Woods, of course - he has to do it this week.

Northern Ireland's world number 11 turns 21 in four weeks and come next April will be eight months older than Woods was when he left the rest for dead in 1997. The odds on McIlroy donning a green jacket on Sunday have been getting longer and longer with some poor recent results, but he believes he is putting his game back together - and there is no more inspirational stage than Augusta National.

"I've made a lot of progress in the last week," said McIlroy, whose thoughts were turning to The Masters long before he missed the halfway cut in the Houston Open last Friday.

"I feel I'm now playing well enough to be on contention. I feel like the shots are there again. I'm hitting a lot of fairways and my distance is up again.

"I'm certainly moving in the right direction. My confidence wasn't great a month ago, but it's probably back close to seven or eight.

"And I love this golf course."

To the surprise of many, last February's Dubai Desert Classic remains McIlroy's only professional title so far.

He has had 11 top six finishes since then, but in his last three tournaments he has finished 40th, 65th and 81st.

"I can't wait to get going now. I've been looking forward to it for a long time and I will try to draw on the way I finished last year," he said.

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