Tiger Woods' ex-coach could be key for Rory McIlroy at Masters

Desperate for swing tips and a boost of confidence, Rory McIlroy paid a visit to legendary swing coach Butch Harmon ahead of his tune-up start at the Valero Texas Open last week. The goal was simple: Find a fix to the two biggest issues holding him back from a green jacket at the Masters and a career Grand Slam. 

Issue No. 1 is obvious. McIlroy clearly has the talent to win the Masters, but the mental side of the game has been his Achilles' heel at Augusta National Golf Club. 

McIlroy can consistently put up three great rounds at the Masters, but there's always one dud in which he compounds mental errors or gets too aggressive when the reward isn't worth the risk. And with every winless year that passes McIlroy by, the pressure of winning the career Grand Slam only grows for the 34-year-old. 

Issue No. 2 is a more short-term blip on the radar. 

McIlroy has always been a brilliant iron player, but his approach play has been uncharacteristically sloppy in 2024. The Northern Irishman ranked 152nd on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach through his first four starts of the season, a worrisome trend considering iron play is the biggest indicator of success at Augusta National. 

So, McIlroy paid a four-hour visit to Harmon, Tiger Woods' former swing coach. 

A few days later, McIlroy finished solo third at the Valero Texas Open and gained 7.509 strokes on approach to rank third in the field. It was his best iron week in terms of average strokes gained since the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. 

"It was a really beneficial trip for the technical side of things, which I think I made progress in that department last week; especially with my strokes gained approach numbers, which is what I really wanted to do," McIlroy told reporters this week ahead of the Masters. "It's also just spending time around someone like that who's coached a lot of the best players in the world and, sort of, him giving you his blessing on things. I think that's nice validation as well."

That's not all Harmon helped McIlroy with, though.

Before even talking about golf or watching a swing, Harmon spoke with McIlroy for 45 minutes about life off the course. McIlroy said that conversation helped free his mind from all the junk.

“I told him: ‘You’re Rory McIlroy for Christ’s sake, one of the best players who’s ever played the game,' " Harmon said, per The Mirror.

That might be all McIlroy needs heading into a week that's supplied him with so many nightmares over the years. 

"He's part, sort of, psychologist, part swing coach," McIlroy said. "I always joke about, you spend four hours with Butch and you go away with two swing tips and 30 stories. But you always go away hitting the ball better than when you came."