Golf Apr 28, 2026

Rory McIlroy: Masters champion to return to Augusta for round after The Genesis Invitational

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Rory McIlroy: Masters champion to return to Augusta for round after The Genesis Invitational

Masters champion Rory McIlroy is heading back to Augusta next week but will first look to continue to "shake off the rust" at The Genesis Invitational.

The Northern Irishman has a round scheduled with his father, Gerry, and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley as he takes an early look at the course where he will defend his Green Jacket in April.

"I'm going to go up there and play with the chairman next week actually," said the world No 2, whose previous return to Augusta was for some promotional work.

"It wasn't even a round. I was doing some filming up there.

"It was cool to get up to the champions locker room and see my nameplate alongside the other two champions that I share a locker with. It was somewhat nostalgic.

"I wouldn't say it was emotional but definitely there was nice memories; different feels the first time staying on site without having to need a member there.

"There's a lot of perks you get with being a champion.

"I was out on the course and was hitting some shots. They've moved the plate (on the 17th) back 10 yards to make it 10 yards longer but apart from that the course is pretty much the same."

But while next week's trip will be relatively informal in its nature, this week's second Signature Event of the season offers the chance to sharpen his competitive edge.

McIlroy finished five shots behind Collin Morikawa at last week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am after a level-par third round, which included a triple and double bogey, cost him a realistic chance of defending his title.

The Riviera Country Club is a more forgiving course and the world No 2 is looking to take advantage.

"I'm just sort of working through that first little bit of the year where you're trying to shake a little bit of rust off and you're trying to find your footing a little bit and sort of where your game is," added McIlroy, who played two events on the DP World Tour this year before his arrival in California.

"I learned quite a bit about my game last week, played well for a lot of it.

"Obviously made some big numbers which kept me from being right in contention on Sunday but I feel like there's enough good in there to be encouraged going into this week.

"There's more opportunities to make big numbers last week than there is this week. There's not hazards, there's not water.

"The fact that I'm hitting a lot of good shots and hitting it close and converting a lot of putts, that has to give me confidence for not just this week but going forward."

The PGA Tour stays in California for the Genesis Invitational, another Signature Event, with Tiger Woods' foundation hosting the event at Riviera Country Club and both Scheffler and McIlroy due to feature.

Ludvig Ã…berg returns as defending champion, with early coverage live on Thursday from 3.15pm on Your Site Golf ahead of full coverage from 9pm. or .

Tags:

golf news

Share this article

Related Posts

LIV Golf: Donald Trump backs return of LIV Golfers to PGA Tour - 'I want to see Rory McIlroy play Bryson DeChambeau'

LIV Golf: Donald Trump backs return of LIV Golfers to PGA Tour - 'I want to see Rory McIlroy play Bryson DeChambeau'

President Donald Trump has backed the reintroduction of LIV Golf players onto the PGA Tour after the league announced the withdrawal of funding from t...

Cadillac Championship: Cameron Young claims first-round lead on PGA Tour as Jordan Spieth weighs in on LIV Golf situation

Cadillac Championship: Cameron Young claims first-round lead on PGA Tour as Jordan Spieth weighs in on LIV Golf situation

Cameron Young produced a superb opening round to take a one-shot lead at the Cadillac Championship as the stars of the PGA Tour had their say on news...

LIV Golf hires financial advisers in scramble to secure funding lifeline after Saudi Arabia pulls plug on its funding

LIV Golf hires financial advisers in scramble to secure funding lifeline after Saudi Arabia pulls plug on its funding

LIV Golf is parachuting in a heavyweight team of financial advisers to help it secure a multi-billion dollar funding lifeline after its Saudi sovereig...

LIV Golf: Saudi Arabia's PIF confirms it will end funding of rebel league at the end of the season

LIV Golf: Saudi Arabia's PIF confirms it will end funding of rebel league at the end of the season

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it will end its funding for LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.In a statement released on Th...

Cadillac Championship: Cameron Young remains leader on PGA Tour as Alex Fitzpatrick shoots up leaderboard

Cadillac Championship: Cameron Young remains leader on PGA Tour as Alex Fitzpatrick shoots up leaderboard

Cameron Young remains the Cadillac Championship leader after two days, having backed up his sensational first-round display with another eye-catching...

LIV Golf: What next for Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau? The routes back to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour

LIV Golf: What next for Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau? The routes back to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour

The futures of some of the world's best golfers, including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, have been thrust into uncertainty after Thursday's announce...