Rory McIlroy is looking to build on the positives of his improved putting at the Players Championship as he seeks a second victory at Sawgrass.
McIlroy, who won golf's unofficial “fifth major” in 2019, began his PGA Tour season with a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but has struggled in subsequent starts.
However, the four-time Grand Slam winner was inspired by his performance on the greens at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where his experiment with new equipment was not as successful.
“It feels good,” McIlroy said in an interview before the tournament.
“I would say even the two finishes after Pebble were about the worst possible. I had a bad finish on Sunday at Bay Hill. I also had a bad finish on Sunday at Torrey Pines.
“But one thing I can say is that my progress in putting from Torrey to Bay Hill has been remarkable. I finished, I think, fifth [actually seventh] in putting last week, so to see that progress has been really encouraging.
“It definitely inspires me for this week and the coming months.”
McIlroy used his sponsor's new clubs for the first three rounds at Bay Hill, but he had trouble adjusting to the updated equipment and reverted to his old gear on Sunday.
“Some years with new equipment you feel a little bit easier,” McIlroy said.
“Like the Qi10 that I use, which they released last year, it was like love at first sight. I thought, this club is amazing. I think when you feel that way about a golf club, it's very hard to replace it with anything else.
“It's like the ebb and flow of the tides. Some years it's easier than others. Look, these are all businesses, and they're all trying to make money, innovate, and try to be better. So I understand why the cycle is the way it is.”
McIlroy will be paired with Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler in the first two rounds of the tournament at Sawgrass. Scheffler became the first player in the tournament's 50-year history to win back-to-back titles last year.
Scheffler made one bogey and six birdies in a flawless final round of 64 to overcome a five-shot deficit and finish 20 under par, one stroke ahead of Schauffele, Wyndham Clark
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
