NAUCALPAN DE JUÁREZ, Mexico — By the time March rolls around, Rory McIlroy is typically weary of questions about the Masters, the last major title he needs to complete a career Grand Slam. In the lead-up to his past two competitive forays to the Masters at Augusta National, McIlroy has endured an endless loop of questions about his preparedness, his confidence and his putting.
This year has followed a different script for McIlroy, who fractured a rib while playing in the South African Open in January and missed four events that he had on his schedule, including the prior two PGA Tour stops in Los Angeles and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.