AUGUSTA, Ga. -- If Rory McIlroy is to contend for and win a third straight major championship, he will need to improve his play on Augusta National's par-5s and eliminate the big score that has plagued him in recent years.
McIlroy, who can achieve the career Grand Slam with a Masters victory this week, played the par-5s in just even par a year ago; and in each of his past five appearances in the tournament, he has had a score of at least 77 or higher.
"It hasn't even been that it's been a bad 18 holes, it's just been a bad nine holes where it sort of got away from me," McIlroy said Tuesday. "I think I'm more experienced now. I had a run last year where I would throw in a bad nine holes and it was usually on a Friday, which happened here last year. I think I'm better equipped now to handle if things don't quite go the right way."
McIlroy shot 77 in the second round last year, which meant he was first off on Saturday morning. He ended up being grouped with Augusta member Jeff Knox, who played as a marker -- and ended up beating McIlroy 70 to 71.
After winning the Open Championship last summer, McIlroy referenced his round with Knox as a learning experience. He had hoped to play a practice round with Knox leading up to this week but the schedules did not work out.
"It was just great to see how Jeff played out there last year and how he got himself around the golf course," he said. "For a guy that doesn't hit it overly long, but has great touch around the greens and great imagination, obviously plays here a lot, I took a whole lot from that."
McIlroy's victory at the Open put him in position for the career Grand Slam -- he had won the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2012 PGA Championship -- and then he added the PGA, giving him a chance to become just the third player in the modern game to win three straight majors. Ben Hogan did it in 1953. Tiger Woods won four in a row over 2000-01.
To get his first green jacket, McIlroy knows the par-5s are key. Last year when he played them in even par, winner Bubba Watson was 8 under par. And McIlroy finished 8 strokes back.
McIlroy has 22 tournament rounds at Augusta, and he has made two eagles and 25 birdies on the par-5s but also six bogeys and a double-bogey.
"I'm making too many pars on them," McIlroy said.
McIlroy is grouped for the first two rounds with Phil Mickelson and Ryan Moore. They tee off at 10:41 a.m. on Thursday.