Rory McIlroy responds to Fred Couples after ‘not – Sports News
Rory McIlroy has playfully dismissed Fred Couples’ daring prediction that he won’t ever lose the Masters again as unhelpful.
Couples made the comment to his caddie halfway by way of his opening spherical on Thursday after recognizing McIlroy’s identify atop the leaderboard at 5-under. So far, the prediction is holding true — not that McIlroy is especially snug with it. “And by the way,” mentioned Couples. “Rory may never lose this thing again after last year. I said that on about the 12th hole to my caddie.”
Couples wasn’t the one Masters champion to weigh in on McIlroy. The Northern Irish star additionally revealed, earlier than his spherical, a colourful piece of advice from {golfing} legend Jack Nicklaus.
Speaking to Amanda Balionis on Amazon Prime on Friday afternoon, the broadcaster pressed him to share the main points. She requested: “Overnight co-leader Rory McIlroy, I know Jack Nicklaus said something to you at the practice facility before your opening round, what did he tell you?”
McIlroy replied with a grin, “Er, no effing double bogeys. Apparently, he thought I made too many last year.”
After carding a beautiful 65 to transfer to 12-under for the event and open up a six-shot lead over nearest challengers Patrick Reed and Sam Burns, McIlroy was quizzed on the remarks from each Couples and Nicklaus.
“I think the advice, like the advice from Jack or — like even last year, I talked about Jack and Gary and Tom were up here after their ceremonial tee shots, and they all picked me to win. I mean, that’s nice, but that is not helpful,” he mentioned.
“Freddie saying that is not helpful. But Jack telling me not to make double bogeys, that’s helpful.
“It’s very nice both approach. It’s good that Jack feels a close relationship with me, that he needs to help in a roundabout way, and it is good that Freddie believes in me a lot.
“I guess it’s still all noise. They’re lovely words, and it’s nice to hear these things, but it means nothing when you step on the 1st tee because you just have to stand up and hit the shots and make the putts.”
When questioned about his strategy for Saturday given his substantial benefit, McIlroy was requested whether or not his strategy shifts with such a commanding lead.
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “I just want to go out and play two good rounds again. Obviously this golf course has certain characteristics that guys can get on runs, guys can make eagles, you hear roars all over the golf course.
“I believe the subsequent two days for me is basically about specializing in myself. It’s laborious to keep away from these massive leaderboards on the market, however like I do know that I’ve acquired a lead. So I do not need to keep checking it all of the time. So for me, simply actually specializing in myself and staying in my own little world out there’s the best factor.”
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