Rory McIlroy Continues Form Ahead Of Major Season

The four-time Major winner has finished inside the top-5 in every tournament he has played in this year

Rory McIlroy Continues Form Ahead Of Major Season
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The four-time Major winner has finished inside the top five in every tournament he has played in this year

Rory McIlroy Continues Form Ahead Of Major Season

Rory McIlroy notched his third-straight top-five finish of 2019 at the Genesis Open as he continues to show form ahead of the Major season.

He finished at 11 under par after a closing 69 (-2), which was one of the best rounds of the day in tricky conditions.

That total left him just three back of winner JB Holmes and McIlroy made three bogeys on his closing nine, evidence that a victory may be just around the corner.

The four-time Major winner of course needs a Green Jacket to complete the Career Grand Slam and early signs that he could challenge again this year are very positive.

Whilst he hasn't done anything spectacular just yet, he has finished T4th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, T5th at the Farmers Insurance Open and T4th at the Genesis Open.

McIlroy was in last year's Masters final round, eventually finishing four back of Reed. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Perhaps a huge positive in itself is the fact that the 29-year-old says he hasn't even had his best stuff so far this year, complaining of a miss to the right with his long clubs at the Genesis Open.

“I’m happy enough. I just sort of keep preaching patience, and I didn’t have my best stuff this week,” he said.

“I managed my game well this week. I didn’t have it all, but it’s another top-five and a step in the right direction.

“The game’s right there. I’m happy with pretty much everything.

“Just a couple of loose shots here and there with my irons and tidy that up. I’ve still got a bit of a right miss going on with the longer clubs, just try to get that out of the game and we’ll be right there."

His week was highlighted by an eight under par 63 in round two which was the lowest second round score of his PGA Tour career.

For the season so far on the PGA Tour, he ranks 1st in SG: Off the tee, 3rd in SG: Tee to green and 5th in SG: Total.

Rory McIlroy is one of the most in-form golfers on the planet right now and seems to be very much going under the radar.

Don't be surprised if he wins prior to the Masters, where he'll be teeing up this week at the WGC-Mexico Championship plus at least Bay Hill to defend his Arnold Palmer Invitational title and TPC Sawgrass, a course that he is yet to win on.

As is stands, he is joint-favourite for the season's opening Major and rightly so.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV