Rory McIlroy Shares Mindset for Masters Sunday With Chances at First Green Jacket Fading

Was Rory’s best chance to get into Butler Cabin that faithful final round in 2011 when McIlroy pull-hooked his drive on the 10 ^th up near the Augusta cabins?

The wayward drive led to a triple bogey and was the beginning of the end for McIlroy’s run, shooting 43 on the second nine for a T15 finish with an 80 on the scorecard in his final round.

Since that 2011 Augusta tragedy, McIlroy has struggled to get into contention on Sunday at the Masters, never finding the winner's circle and instead searching for the secret sauce that would make the difference.

After a Saturday 71, McIlroy knows he will not be wearing a green jacket when he leaves the property on Sunday.

“All I can do is come here and try my best,” McIlroy said after his three birdie and two bogey performance. “That's what I do every time I show up. Some years it's better than others. I've just got to keep showing up and try to do the right thing.”

What’s the right thing is what has eluded the Ulsterman almost ever since he arrived on the property in 2009 when he recorded a T20 finish.

“It's a huge thrill to be here, and you know, it's been a dream of mine for a long time to be able to play in the Masters, and for that dream to finally come true is a pretty special feeling,” McIlroy said in an interview on the Monday of Masters week in 2009. “It's a week that I'm going to enjoy and hopefully I'll be playing pretty well.

"Hopefully I can carry that good golf into this week, as well. But I'm here to enjoy myself and hopefully pick up some valuable experience. If it doesn't quite work out this week, I'll hopefully have plenty more to try to do well in. You know what, it's just going to be a great week and one I'm really looking forward to.”

That was a young, exuberant 19-year-old McIlroy.

At 34, the boyish charm is gone, replaced with the look of a grizzled veteran that has been disappointed every year he has left the property after tussling with the Bobby Jones/Alistair MacKenzie layout.

With just one round to play in the 88 ^th edition of the Masters, McIlroy knows when he steps on the first tee he will have zero chance to win his first Masters and will leave Augusta not with a green jacket but with nothing but a pit in his stomach, a feeling unfortunately he has experienced most of his life in golf.

“Just go out and finish on a positive note,” McIlory said of what he was looking for on Sunday. “Shoot a good round of golf and move on to Hilton Head next week in a good frame of mind, I guess.”