Texas \u2013 World number two Rory McIlroy never considered entering the Texas Open the week before the Masters until caddie JP Fitzgerald suggested it.<\/p>\n
McIlroy thought about it over lunch after his second round at the Houston Open on Friday and sent Fitzgerald a text message saying he thought it was a good idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up thinking to myself, \u2018OK, let\u2019s just do for these next couple of weeks what\u2019s best for me,\u2019\u201d said McIlroy, No 2 in the world after Tiger Woods won at Bay Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s best for me right now is competitive golf and playing rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Rory McIlroy, there are risks now that he\u2019s added next week\u2019s Texas Open to his schedule. The fact that he needs more competitive rounds prior to the Masters, though, will outweigh any drawbacks, writes Farrell Evans.<\/p>\n
Last year, McIlroy missed two straight cuts and made a late commitment to play in the St Jude Classic the week before the US Open. He tied for seventh in Memphis, then missed the cut at The Olympic Club.<\/p>\n
He seemed encouraged after shooting a 71 at Redstone on Saturday morning. But he\u2019s only completed 11 competitive rounds this year and agreed with Fitzgerald that he would benefit from another tournament heading to Augusta.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything feels good in my game,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just about playing a bit more competitive golf and just getting a little sharper. I just feel a little rusty out there, at times.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Houston Open was McIlroy\u2019s first event since Doral, so he wasn\u2019t worried about wearing himself out before Masters week.<\/p>\n