Tiger Woods could make Rory McIlroy’s life easier if he showed up at next month’s Masters, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley told Sky Sports on Tuesday.
All the attention figures to be on McIlroy at Augusta as he attempts to become just the sixth player in history to capture the career Grand Slam.
But McGinley said that Woods returning from an indefinite break at the year’s first major could take some heat off McIlroy. Last year’s PGA Championship was the perfect example.
“All the talk was, ‘Is Tiger going to play, is he not going to play?’” McGinley said. “At the time Rory was the favorite, but all the expectations, all the talk, all (the media) were focused on Tiger.
“Rory didn’t sneak in the back door, but he was able to go about his business without the attention on him.”
McIlroy went on to win, of course, his second major in a row and third consecutive title overall.
Woods said that he is “hopeful” to play at Augusta. McIlroy, meanwhile, is now a 6/1 favorite to win his first green jacket.
