Two-time US Open champion Andy North has revealed what he found most 'shocking' about Rory McIlroy's game when walking with the Northern Irishman at the Players Championship.
McIlroy began the year in fine form in the Middle East with a second-placed finish followed by a victory at the Dubai Desert Classic.
But he struggled to continue that form into the PGA Tour and failed to finish inside the top-18 of any event before last week's Valero Texas Open.
Prior to the Valero Texas Open, McIlroy ranked 119th on the PGA Tour for strokes gained on approach to the green.
Rory McIlroy will need to rely on his approach shots to contend at Augusta
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McIlroy notoriously takes the week off before the Masters with this being only the second time in the last decade he's played an event just days before travelling to Augusta.
That suggested to North - who will be a part of ESPN's coverage of the Masters - that the four-time major winner was still searching for to fix his iron play that has caused him problems all year long.
"I think his game's in a spot he's not really happy with," North told GB News before the Valero Texas Open got underway.
"I can't speak for him. I walked with him for the last three days at the Players and he was driving the ball quite well, but his iron play has been really spotty all year long.
"He doesn't have a top-15 finish yet this year, which is shocking [given] the way he drives it.
"What makes the poor iron play even worse is that he drives it so well.
"He's arguably the best driver in the game and he's missing a ton of greens with wedges and short irons from the middle of the fairway.
"To me that's what was shocking while walking with him, that he made some very, very poor plays with short irons from the middle of the fairway that you don't expect to see.
"If McIlroy struggles again with his irons at Augusta then North feels he can forget about winning his first green jacket this year.
Rory McIlroy was much improved at the Valero Texas Open
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"His driving ability helps him a ton at Augusta, but you've got to hit good iron shots," North added.
"If you go back and look back at the majority of winners there, particularly Tiger, I think he was first in greens hit in regulation every time he won.
"Everybody talks about putting, putting, putting. It's about who hits the most greens and who gets the ball in the right positions on the greens.
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Rory McIlroy will also need to rely on his driving
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"We saw him with a really good iron day the first round of the Players, then it went back to where it's been all-year round."
McIlroy showed some promise in San Antonio last week though as he finished third for his best result of the year.
More importantly, the 34-year-old ranked third in strokes gained for the whole tournament and performed well with his approach shots.
