McIlroy knows what Spieth is going through after last year’s Masters collapse

Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are two of biggest names in golf.

They both have multiple major titles, McIlroy with four and Spieth with two. And they both have plenty of years left in their careers to win many more majors. McIlroy is 27, while Spieth is just 23.

They have at least one more thing in common: They know what it’s like to blow a big lead on the back nine at the Masters.

“I think it’s a nice story line for you guys and for golf, Jordan coming back after what happened on 12,” McIlroy told the media Tuesday. “But I can assure you, Jordan will be fine. He’ll step up on Thursday on that 12th tee box, and he’ll just be playing to play the best shot he possibly can.”

Last year, Spieth appeared to be headed to a second straight Masters title when he suffered a quadruple-bogey 7 on Sunday on the par-3 12th hole after hitting two shots into Rae’s Creek. After holding a five-shot lead heading to the back nine, Spieth finished tied for second.

McIlroy certainly can relate. In 2011, he began the final round with a four-stroke lead. He still had a one-shot lead after nine holes, but he suffered a triple-bogey on the par-4 10th hole and finished the round with an 80. He ended up tied for 15th, 10 shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel.

“I’m sure what happened last year won’t enter his mind,” McIlroy said of Spieth. “Look, it’s tough to get over. Leaving and coming back here in 2012, of course your mind does go back to the previous year when you’re thinking what could have been — ‘If only I had of parred 10, and if only I didn’t three-putt 11.’ Those things do run through your mind. But you very quickly snap out of it because this golf course and this tournament requires the utmost concentration and focus, and you really just have to focus on your job that day, and that’s trying to shoot the best score possible.”

McIlroy has won the PGA Championship twice and the U.S. Open and British Open each once. A Masters title is the only thing he needs to complete the career Grand Slam. Yet, despite being ranked third in the world, McIlroy has been overlooked a bit entering the year’s first major.

McIlroy will play with Hideto Tanihara and Jon Rahm in the first two rounds, and they will tee off at 1:41 p.m. on Thursday in the first round.

“I think it’s been a relatively quiet buildup to the Masters for me, which has been quite nice,” McIlroy said. “It’s made a bit of a change from the last couple of years, especially ’15, coming off the back of two major wins in a row and going for the career Grand Slam. And even last year, last year I felt like the spotlight was shared a little bit among a few guys. Obviously this year, with Dustin (Johnson) winning three times, he’s the form player right now, and there’s a lot of story lines.

“I feel like it’s been relatively quiet, which is quite nice. I don’t feel like I can fly under the radar anymore, but at the same time, it’s sort of felt that way to me, and it’s been nice to be able to prepare and just go about my business and try to get ready for this tournament.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 10:58 AM with the headline "McIlroy knows what Spieth is going through after last year’s Masters collapse."