AUGUSTA, Ga. — After Rory McIlroy pulled within six shots at the halfway point of the Masters, he credited much of his success around the greens to “being on this golf course for the last three weeks,” including several day trips to drop his daughter off at school, fly here on a private jet and get home in time for dinner.
“I think a big part of it is that I spent a lot of time here,” McIlroy said.
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To some commenters on social media, especially those who don’t know much about golf, having access to Augusta National the week before the tournament seems like an unfair advantage. Why should McIlroy have the opportunity to play in practice rounds earlier than everyone else? No wonder he runs away with this.
But this is the reality. The scouting trip before every major tournament is, no joke, par for the course. This is something McIlroy has said publicly before nearly every Masters he’s played here, including the first 16 he’s played here without winning.
This is also an opportunity that all players on the field can take advantage of if they wish.
The club’s rules are intentionally opaque, but all players on the field are allowed to travel to Augusta and play a practice round before the tournament week. Numerous reports over the years have said that those with an invitation to the Masters can arrange to play the course more than once if invited by a member.
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Not all players choose to take advantage of it.
Saturday’s third round of the Masters will be Rory McIlroy’s 65th tournament round at Augusta National. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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For example, Scottie Scheffler told Sports Illustrated in 2023 that he didn’t go on a scouting trip before winning his first green jacket, but went the following year to avoid “reliving memories” during tournament week. In the end, he tied for 10th place.
McIlroy did not say specifically how many days he would practice before this tournament, but he did mention that he will be on the road Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, as well as twice last week and once the week before that.
In terms of preparing for the Masters, it would almost certainly have been more productive for McIlroy to attend this course while many of his rivals were competing in tournaments in South Florida or Texas.
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“I felt like the more time I could spend here, the better,” he said.
But is that unfair?
The reality of the situation is: For athletes at McIlroy’s level, almost everything they do comes with some benefit. Owning a private jet and being able to avoid travel issues is an advantage over someone who has to fly commercially. Being able to spend more money on physical recovery and access better technology than our competitors is an advantage. Well, being ranked second in the world and having more freedom in choosing your schedule is an advantage.
But that’s what makes golf so interesting. Players constantly change their routines depending on their mood and play. You may or may not want to participate in a tournament course in advance. Even for the best players in the world, reaching the top for a major is more of an art than a science, which is why they are so difficult to beat.
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Yes, experience at Augusta National can be a plus. But at this point in McIlroy’s career — Saturday was his 65th tournament round here — it’s hard to say he’s learned much more by playing a few practice rounds in non-tournament conditions than he would otherwise be.
Whether players should have access to courses before major week is an interesting question. But it would be impossible to tell any course what rules it should have regarding professional access.
Augusta National is a private club. You can do what you want. Similarly, the US Open is regularly held at Pebble Beach. Anyone can play this public course for about $700. Does it really make sense to prohibit players from practicing there if they choose to spend time there?
As it turns out, McIlroy’s biggest benefit this week wasn’t being able to practice at Augusta National. That’s because he’s Rory McIlroy, one of the most talented golfers of all time.
