Rory McIlroy has revealed a ‘noticeable’ change of scenery at Augusta ahead of the Masters next month.
The Northern Irishman has visited the iconic golf course in Georgia as he eyes the fifth major of his career.
McIlroy is set to make his 17th appearance at the Masters but is yet to win, with a runner-up finish in 2022 the closest he’s come to glory.
He finished tied for 22nd last April, five months before the category four Hurricane Helene battered the southeastern United States.
Augusta National sustained damage from the storm, where winds hit a peak of 140mph, and it’s impact is still visible on the course.
Speaking in a press conference at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, McIlroy commented on the decrease in woodland features as a result.
He said: “The loss of a few trees is definitely noticeable but in terms of they’ve had to redo that green [16th], it’s exactly the same as what it was.
“So you know, the whole play… Apart from maybe a few less shadows on the green late in the day because of a couple of trees that were lost. But apart from that, it’s pretty much the same.”
Reflecting on his early visit to Augusta, McIlroy said: “I use those trips just to re-familiarise myself with the place.
“Clubs off tees, looking to see if they changed any greens, there’s four greens that are new this year that they’ve redone.
“So you just have a look at those and see if there’s any new hole positions I could use, stuff like that.
“Apart from that, honestly for me, it’s nice to play a practice round without people around, and it sort of takes the pressure off the start of the week for me.
“There’s a lot of obligations, there’s big commitments, whether it be from media or the par-three tournament on Wednesday.
“So, I just like to get up there and feel like I’m not rushed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, the week of the tournament, and that’s usually the reason I go there.”
This year’s Masters runs from April 10 to April 13 and is the first major tournament of 2025.
If McIlroy claims victory he will become the next player to achieve a career Grand Slam by winning all four majors at least once.
The 35-year-old has fought for the prestigious achievement since 2015 and would follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods.
