Rory McIlroy blames golf ball after failing to win Masters
McIlroy: "I need to change my golf ball, that's a big thing."
Rory McIlroy admits he needs to change his golf ball after missing out on his bid to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters last week.
McIlroy, 27, carded an improved final-round 69 to finish six shots adrift of winner Sergio Garcia on 3-under, but was left to rue an unusual errant driving display.
The world number two found just 29 of 56 fairways (52%) at Augusta National, with five out of 14 fairways on both Thursday and Friday, and he also found just 44 of 72 greens (61%) for the week.
“I need to change my golf ball, that’s a big thing," said McIlroy, who blamed his vigorous equipment testing in the off season as the main reason behind his recent rib injury.
"I thought my golf ball this week was doing weird things in the wind. It was very inconsistent so there’s one thing I will change and try to work on the next few weeks.
“I feel I’m swinging it as well as I have been for a long time and my putting feels as good as it has done in a long time but I maybe didn’t drive it was well as I could have done in the first couple of days here.
"I feel like I’m a good driver of the golf ball. I’m going to tinker with some equipment over the next couple of weeks and find something better.”
McIlroy, who used to play with Nike Golf clubs before the company went solely into footwear and apparel at the end of 2016, is currently using the new Titleist Pro V1x ball, Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic Sub Zero driver, TaylorMade M2 fairway woods, prototype Callaway Apex MB irons, Titleist Vokey SM6 wedges and Scotty Cameron putter.
The Northern Irishman just needs to win the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam following major victories at the 2011 US Open, 2012 and 2014 US PGA, and 2014 Open.
McIlroy had said earlier in the season that the combination of the Pro V1x ball and Epic driver was the best he had tested during the off-season.
The four-time major champion gets married in a fortnight and then will return to play in the Players Championship on May 11 before teeing up in England at the BMW PGA Championship on May 25 - but what equipment he turns up with at TPC Sawgrass is anyone's guess.
