Rory's radar zeroed in on career grand slam

He is the No 1 player in the world, winner of the past two majors and star of a poignant new Nike commercial he admits to having watched - but only once.

If this was any other Masters, Rory McIlroy would be the talk of golf and the biggest story of the week. That he is not - at least right now - is only because a guy named Tiger Woods decided to embark on his latest comeback on the undulating greens of Augusta National.

And that is not necessarily a bad thing as McIlroy prepares for the seventh Masters of his young career. For all his success, the biggest hole in his resume is that he has yet to win a green jacket.