No back pain for McIlroy this year

Timing is everything, and Rory McIlroy's was just off at last year's Masters Tournament.

Still smarting from soreness in his back that cropped up two months earlier during the European Tour spin through the Middle East, McIlroy missed the cut in his second start at Augusta National Golf Club.

"I wasn't feeling good," said the 21-year-old Northern Irishman. "I couldn't practice the way I wanted to, and I missed the cut in Houston the week before. Just wasn't feeling very good about my game. It was a difficult period of the season for me."

Two weeks off after the Masters proved to be the tonic, as McIlroy returned to action at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., and won his first PGA Tour event with a brilliant closing 62 just days before his 21st birthday.

As great a step as that was for his career, he would have preferred having that form one tournament earlier.

"After Augusta, I was very disappointed," said McIlroy, who finished tied for 20th in his Masters debut the year before as a teenager. "I'm really looking forward to getting back this year and giving it my best. It's probably my favorite week of the whole year, so you really want to play well."

The Masters was his first missed cut in a major championship, and despite only nine career starts McIlroy has established himself as one of the guys to beat in the biggest tournaments. Already a fixture on the world top 10, he's a regular on major leaderboards with five top-20 finishes, including third-place efforts in back-to-back PGAs and last year's British Open.

"I finished third in three out of the last five majors, so my record is pretty good," he said. "But I feel like I've still got a lot to learn, especially at Augusta. You can never stop learning. But I feel like I can go there and give it a good go. I'm definitely a better player and more rounded player than I was last year."

McIlroy was passed over as Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour despite outperforming top vote-getter Rickie Fowler in almost every measurable way. This year he opted not to maintain his PGA Tour status despite the two-year exemption he earned with his victory at Quail Hollow.

Like Fowler, McIlroy is one of the most popular players with a younger generation of golf fans because of his style and personality.

With that, of course, comes scrutiny. McIlroy's honesty has drawn some unwanted attention when the media blew up comments he made about Tiger Woods' struggles or his preference to skip competing in The Players Championship on a golf course he doesn't particularly like.

McIlroy doesn't regret the things he says, even if it creates a stir.

"I think you should answer questions honestly, and that's what I do," he said.

His honesty revealed he shares a similar mind-set as Jack Nicklaus about the relative importance of the short game vs. the long game.

"The long game puts you in position to have putts to win tournaments," he said. "Guys say you have to have a short game to win tournaments, and it is not the case. Not at all."

Both, of course, are essential at Augusta National, a course that ranks close behind St. Andrews on McIlroy's list of favorite places in golf.

In a year when the other U.S.-based majors go to courses where McIlroy has no experience (Congressional and Atlanta Athletic Club), Augusta has his full attention. This time, he took two weeks off before the Masters to relax at home in Northern Ireland, returning to the U.S. a week early to focus all of his practice on hitting draw shots and getting his game in tune for Augusta.

He studies what works for previous Masters champions while trying to find the way that will work for him.

"I think I'm still getting comfortable on the golf course," he said. "The way (Phil) Mickelson approaches it is so completely different than for the rest of the guys. He hits driver everywhere and is very aggressive, and his short game is so good he can miss greens. I'm still trying to figure out what sort of game plan works for me out there. But I should be able to give it a pretty good try."

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 orscott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.