If the first few holes at the Masters are any indication, Rory McIlroy’s hunt for the career grand slam will wait yet another year.
The green jacket remains the most elusive prize for McIlroy, who has won just about everything else there is to win in the sport. He always has a chance to win any time he tees it up, but he came to Augusta National Golf Club in pretty poor form.
That poor form continued early, and it wasn’t just bad news for him but his dad, too. On an errant second shot from the tree line on No. 7, McIlroy actually hit his father, Gerry, who was standing about 125 yards — on the other side of the fairway.
The bogey at seven, in addition to leaving a mark on Mr. McIlroy, dropped Rory to 3-over, his third consecutive bogey. The elder McIlroy wasn’t the only one in the line of fire when his son was standing over a ball on the first nine.
McIlroy did, however, rebound with a birdie at No. 8. He’ll need a few more of those to get back on the right track and right the ship in search of his white (green?) whale.
