It's Like Rory McIlroy Never Even Left Augusta National

AUGUSTA, GA — On Wednesday, I dubbed Rory McIlroy the forgotten man heading into the Masters. All the conversation surrounding the Northern Irishman centered around the Career Grand Slam, the Champions Dinner, and last year’s magical run. Somehow, Rory the golfer fell through the cracks.

On Thursday, we saw what a freed-up McIlroy looks like at Augusta National.

Now, there’s a lot of golf left. Who knows what the rest of the week has in store? But man, he sure looked at home among the Georgia Pines.

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He traded a birdie at two for a bogey at three, and scraped together some nice pars throughout the front nine. Then, at the eighth, he blistered a fairway-wood up the hill and left himself inside 25 feet for eagle. It didn’t drop, but the birdie got him going.

He stuffed a wedge on nine and made birdie. He made good pars on 10, 11, and 12. After punching out from the pinestraw at the par-5 13th, he hit a good wedge past the pin and fed the putt right into the hole.

Now he was vibing.

He stuffed another wedge into 14 and converted the putt. On 15, after punching out and hitting a wedge into the middle of the green—exactly what he should have done with how firm the greens already were—he drained a monster left-to-right putt to get to 5 under.

On the final three holes, McIlroy made a trio of comfy pars to end his day in a tie for first alongside Sam Burns.

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He sat with Scott Van Pelt in the Butler Cabin after signing his card, and something he said stuck out. He admitted he didn’t have his best stuff to start the day, and was proud that he waited until he found something to start pushing.

It’s hard to imagine he would’ve waited that long if a Green Jacket wasn’t already hanging in his locker.

As for his afternoon plans? He told Scott he might head to the Champions Locker Room, slip on his Green Jacket, and have a drink—he might have been joking, but at the same time, why wouldn’t he do that?

After that 67, he deserves a(nother) nice glass of wine.