“It's not going to be a low-scoring Masters” - McIlroy expecting tough test at firm Augusta
Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his stroke from the No. 12 tee during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Wednesday, April 08, 2026.
Rory McIlroy is bracing himself for a massive test in his Masters defence and predicting a high winning score as Augusta National dries out.
The Holywood star, who described the chance to host the Masters Club Dinner on Tuesday night as “an incredible evening”, reckons it’s unlikely there will be a repeat of the double-digits under par winning scores of the last eight years.
“I think this week it's going to be dry, it’s already a little windy,” he said ahead of the Par-3 Contest, which he played alongside Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and their children.
“I played the back nine early this morning and the golf course is already firming up.
“You know, they can do whatever they want with this golf course this week. So I think it’s about patience, like it always is around here.
“But I think this week, if the conditions continue to be the way they are, double digits under par would be an amazing score. “So it's not going to be a low-scoring Masters, I don't think, and I think that'll be fun for everyone to watch on TV at home.”
As for Tuesday night’s dinner, he admitted he wasn’t nervous until the moment came to address the past champions, including legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, who will act as honorary starters at 7:25 am.
“I was so excited for it, for obvious reasons,” McIlroy said. “And then when you're asked to stand up and speak in front of that group, I wasn't nervous up until that point.
“I've got Tom Watson and Gary Player to my left, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth on my right. I’ve got Gary Player at the end of the table, and it's a who's who of pretty much anyone that's done everything in the game.
“Obviously, there were a couple of guys missing there that it would have been great for them to be there as well, Phil and Tiger, two of the greatest champions the Masters has ever seen.
“So I wanted to make sure that they were acknowledged the right way.
“But just an incredible evening. There were a few guys that stood up and said some really nice things, which I really appreciated.
“I didn't want the evening to be about me. I wanted to be about all of us as a collective group. And I said, I could, I could recall, within reason, a lot of different moments from everyone's wins around that table.
“So I referenced Bubba's shot out of the trees on 10, or Sergio shot into 15 on the last day, or Jordan announcing himself to the world in 2015.
“I literally could go around that table and say something about everyone. So I just wanted to convey just how grateful I was to be there, and I hope everyone had a nice evening.”
