Rory McIlory

Thoughts on the Third Day at the Masters

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

To be fair, I did not watch any of the Masters yesterday. I was off having fun doing life stuff. I was a bit taken aback with the result from moving day and I was not surprised either. Augusta National is a tough track and Rory McIlroy did not have his best game according to the results on the leaderboard. That is the nature of professional sports. I was surprised at the lower scores that propelled players to the top of the leaderboard. Specifically, Cameron Young and Scottie Scheffler shooting 65 and Russel Henley and Patrick Cantlay shooting 66. I mentioned yesterday that low scores like these were needed to make a run at the top of the leaderboard. Right now, Cameron Young is the only score that made a significant difference.

With 9 players within 5 strokes of the top players, anything thing can happen today. The walk down the 18th hole could be any of the top players as they all vie for the green jacket. So, who will come out on top, will I still think Rory McIlroy will come through in the end. He is has the game if it shows up. Again, staying in play off the tee will be his greatest challenge. The rest, just need to play solid golf. The lower down the leader board, the more chances you need to take in order to make a run. It is going to be fun to watch for sure.

In case you missed Rory’s rollercoaster ride, here is a quick recap:

I looking forward to watching today’s action. Anything can and will happen. I hope you have time to catch the action today at Augusta National.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Thoughts of Day Two at The Masters

/ The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

All I can really say is WOW! That was quite a display of golf all around, but Rory McIlroy stole the show. Shooting a 7 under 65 with 2 bogeys is amazing. Who would have thought that he would develop such a commanding lead. Knowing how golf goes, most of the pundits will say that McIlroy is a lock to win (given past history of such leads), however moving day starts soon and anything can happen. Given his current state of play, I would suggest that he is likely to win by shooting two more rounds of 70; but, you cannot count out any of the top players from shooting their own 65 to close the gap. I guess that is why we watch Major golf tournaments.

Continue reading →

Thoughts About The First Day At The Masters

/ The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

The first day is in the books at the 2026 Masters golf tournament. ‘A tradition like no other’ seems to fit the bill this year as 91 golfers vie for the Green Jacket. There are some past champions like Freddie Couples (one of my all time favorites), Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, and José María Olazábal are playing one of their favourite courses. There are many young guns who I do not recognize, but the top players in the world are still showing that consistency is key to playing at Augusta. This is one of my must see events through the year and my top pick, defending champion Rory McIlroy, is a co-leader after day one. With great weather forecasted for the weekend, what do the players chasing the top of the leaderboard have to do in order to be in Butler’s Cabin on Sunday?

Continue reading →

Hitting The Ball With Intent

/ The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

Many golfers think they hit the ball with the intent for success. I definitely try to set the conditions for success, however sometimes I fail miserably. The many challenges to hitting the ball perfectly for our swing each time are daunting. This momentous task is made easier but two simple steps that I found works for my game and will likely work for yours. They are not difficult to accomplish, yet are often overlooked in many instances. I am here to set things straight today and hopefully it will open new doors for success in your golf game.

Continue reading →

Hitting Out Of The Bunker The Easy Way

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Every golfer has played out of the bunker. Most amateurs will play this shot a few times a round….or at least once. Personally, I play a bunker shot every 3 or 4 rounds, but that success is subject to change at any time. Playing out of a bunker is not difficult if you understand the mechanics of a bunker shot. It is different from a normal wedge shot because the sand creates a different set of influences that affect the release and ball flight. I spent a great deal of time early in my career hitting bunker shots and now I consider them just another shot during my round. There are two different ways to play each bunker shot and today we are going to discuss them both.

Continue reading →