You can say that Rory McIlroy gets spooked by the Masters, that he wants to complete the career grand slam so desperately that his brain seems to short circuit, that he would probably win tournaments on an exact replica of Augusta National as long as there was no green jacket on the line, and that’s all fair. This week, it is also irrelevant.
McIlroy shot a first-round 76 Thursday, but this wasn’t about pressure or history. When you watch McIlroy at the Masters this week, you’re not really watching the McIlroy you have watched for years.