LIV Golf star spots frightening McIlroy sign | Sports News

Tom McKibbin stated defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy made a few holes look easy forward of the opening spherical at Augusta National.

McIlroy is pursuing one other Green Jacket after writing his identify into the document books final yr as one of simply six golfers to secure the profession Grand Slam, whereas fellow Northern Irishman McKibbin is making his maiden Masters look in 2026 at simply 23 years outdated.

McKibbin additionally performed alongside McIlroy earlier than his debut, and stated he is making holes look easy at Augusta National. McKibbin famously went in opposition to McIlroy’s advice by snubbing the PGA Tour to hitch LIV Golf.

McIlroy went out early to play 18 holes, whereas McKibbin started Tuesday on the back 9 at 9:00 a.m. and the World No. 2 had joined them across the par-five, fifteenth gap, higher often known as Firethorn at Augusta National.

“We played the last four holes. It was pretty nice,” stated McKibbin, experiences <a href=”https://www.themirror.com/sport/golf/tom-mckibbin-rory-mcilroy-augusta-1779920″>the Mirror US</a>.

“Obviously he won here last year, and it’s sort of cool to play a couple holes with the defending champ. It was nice. He made those last couple holes look pretty easy.”

Last yr, McIlroy’s shot on 17 rolled completely to within a few ft for birdie, handing him a one-stroke benefit heading into the ultimate gap. He finally defeated Justin Rose in a playoff.

“I asked him about his second shot into 17,” stated McKibbin. “It was pretty incredible. Then he showed me sort of how close he had hit it. And, yeah, sort of coming down the stretch last year under that pressure and pull off some of those shots he did was really cool.”

McIlroy struck what many are calling the ‘shot of a lifetime’ on the fifteenth gap and is eyeing additional main victories this season. The Ryder Cup standout has but to secure a win on the PGA Tour in 2026, along with his best consequence being a tied second-place end on the Genesis Invitational.

“I think it goes back to the — what I was just saying before about staying aggressive,” McIlroy stated forward of the match.

“I think Augusta over the years has made me quite tentative at times, especially with approach play, and I think once you get tentative, you can start leaving yourself in some really bad spots, and it’s hard to get up-and-down.

“So I feel staying aggressive round there. I performed a observe spherical with Phil Mickelson, possibly, I do not know, 10 or 15 years in the past, in all probability nearer to fifteen years in the past, and I all the time bear in mind he stated to me, “Rory, one of the reasons I love Augusta National is because I feel I can be so aggressive here.

“I bear in mind pondering, “What does he mean?” I really feel the alternative. I really feel I can not be aggressive right here as a result of there’s so many dangerous locations to overlook.

“But Phil had so much – still has, probably, so much faith in his short game that if he does miss an approach shot by being aggressive, he still feels he can get that ball up-and-down.”