Butch Harmon expects Rory McIlroy to relish every minute of defending his Masters crown and says the world No. 2 will not be burdened by extra pressure to repeat last year’s dramatic triumph at Augusta National.
McIlroy returns to the Masters as the reigning champion after completing the career Grand Slam in April, ending an 11-year major drought with a playoff victory over Justin Rose. That emotional win also broke a long sequence of near-misses in majors and made McIlroy just the sixth man in history to claim all four professional majors.
Harmon, speaking ahead of his role on Sky Sports’ Masters commentary team, believes that having the Green Jacket already in his possession frees McIlroy to play with less tension than many would expect. Rather than chasing a missing title, Harmon thinks McIlroy can approach the week more relaxed, which should help his ball-striking and decision-making around Augusta’s unique challenges.
Harmon compares McIlroy’s ability to dominate the course off the tee to the way Tiger Woods has shaped competition at Augusta in the past. With his length and aggressive driving, McIlroy can seize hold of the tournament when he’s in rhythm. Harmon expects to see a player who no longer feels compelled to force outcomes in pursuit of historic milestones, and that calm could be an advantage.
Reflecting on last year’s finish, Harmon called McIlroy’s victory spectacular, both for what it meant and for how it unfolded. McIlroy led for much of the final round but stumbled on the back nine, dropping a double-bogey at the par-5 13th and then yielding the lead after a bogey at 14. He recovered with a brilliant approach into the par-5 15th that set up birdie, fought back with a birdie at 17, then bogeyed 18 to send the event to a playoff, where he prevailed on the first extra hole.
Harmon admitted surprise at some of the late errors, saying they were uncharacteristic for McIlroy, but praised the way he corrected course with a near-flawless clutch approach and a composed playoff performance. The result, Harmon said, was a fitting payoff to a long major drought and a moment that left fans and commentators alike relieved and thrilled.
Away from Augusta, Harmon did not hold back about the previous major team event, condemning the atmosphere at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black and contrasting it with the respectful, tradition-minded patrons at Augusta. He described the Masters crowd as among the best in golf — knowledgeable, well-behaved, and dedicated — which suits the tournament’s standing as one of the sport’s most coveted and hard-to-access events.
Looking ahead to this year’s contenders, Harmon identifies McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as obvious favorites. Scheffler, he notes, is a relentless competitor who can win with any level of his game, while McIlroy’s recent form and confidence from last year’s success make him a natural threat to retain the jacket.
The Masters coverage begins live on Sky Sports Golf. Fans can watch the opening major of the year from April 9-12, with first-round live coverage starting Thursday at 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.