Tuesday 3 April 2018 15:22, UK
Rory McIlroy's bid for a first Masters title was given a huge boost with his victory at Bay Hill, and Butch Harmon believes his extra confidence will be crucial to his chances of completing a major Grand Slam.
Rory McIlroy was fantastic to watch at Bay Hill, and it was like we were watching a different Rory - particularly on the greens. You could see the extra confidence in his step, the way he handled himself, and we saw a putting stroke that looked like the Rory of old.
It was a wise move to talk to Brad Faxon and get himself "freed up" when over the ball on the green. He had been looking so mechanical with his stroke beforehand, but it looked so natural at Bay Hill.
And the way he finished it off on Sunday was so exciting, especially pouring in birdie after birdie over the last six holes. He looked like the Rory McIlroy we all know he can be, and he has now got a hugely positive performance to build on going forward.
To win for the first time since the Tour Championship in 2016 was huge for his confidence going into the Masters, and I think it's also great for European golf with the Ryder Cup not that far away.
Everything about it was wonderful. I'm a big Rory fan so it was really enjoyable to watch him win like that. He's always been phenomenal with the driver and he just seems to keep getting better … and longer!
He looked like the Rory McIlroy we all know he can be at Bay Hill, and he has now got a hugely positive performance to build on going forward
But his victory was all about his putting. He hasn't putted that well for at least a couple of years, and that was the big key. Statistically, it was the best putting tournament of his career, and he wasn't just sneaking in the mid-range putts - they were all going right in the middle of the cup.
Brad Faxon's advice to him was to take a few mechanics out of the stroke and focus on being as natural as possible, and that is something players at all levels can learn from.
Take Jordan Spieth for example. He's been one of the best putters we've ever seen in the game, and all of a sudden he was having a rough time of it on the greens. Jordan seemed to become robotic with the putter and tried various different drills and different strokes that seemed to get him away from what he did naturally.
Why would he go like that? Well, golf is a difficult game whether you're hitting driver down a narrow fairway or standing over a four-foot putt. Even the very best players can be fragile, and it's a game that beats you up when you're a little off.
This is the first time that Jordan has really had to face any serious adversity, and he's still learning how to handle that and get through it, especially with the putter. But we all know he'll be back, and his situation is very similar to what Rory went through.
This year's Masters promises to be one of the most exciting tournaments we've seen for some time, and it's absolutely wide open and almost impossible to predict a winner.
Just look at all the major champions who are hitting form in the build-up to Augusta. Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods all looked great at Bay Hill. Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas are both winners this year, and then we saw three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson winning in Mexico.
Bubba Watson, twice a Masters winner, looks back to his best and followed up his win in California with another at the WGC Match Play, and then you throw in the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey ... and the list goes on!
I think it's been some time since we've had a Masters that has been this open when trying to pick a winner. That makes it such an exciting prospect, and I can't wait for it to get started.
