Former Masters player suggests Rory McIlroy should change his pre-shot routine after watching him at Augusta

FootballSports
13 Apr 2026 • 3:19 AM MYT
HITC
HITC

Health IT, electronic records, medical office duties, music/culture, and ed-tech.

Image from: Former Masters player suggests Rory McIlroy should change his pre-shot routine after watching him at Augusta
Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Rory McIlroy is on a mission to win his second Green Jacket in consecutive years on Sunday at The Masters.

McIlroy is playing with Cameron Young in the final group at Augusta National, with both on -11 before the last round.

He will need to play much better than he did on Saturday to become the first back-to-back winner for 24 years.

Ex-Masters player Nick O’Hern has suggested McIlroy may benefit from a change to his pre-shot routine.

Image from: Former Masters player suggests Rory McIlroy should change his pre-shot routine after watching him at Augusta
Photo by Chris Condon/Augusta National/Getty Images

Nick O’Hern suggests Rory McIlroy takes fewer practice swings

O’Hern made four appearances at The Masters between 2005 and 2008, finishing tied for 19th position in 2006.

The former world number 16 is now a popular golf pundit in Australia and has just shared an interesting take on McIlroy’s game.

After watching McIlroy on the range at Augusta, O’Hern wonders whether he could take fewer practice swings during his rounds.

The defending Masters champion takes up to 10 looks at his target before hitting the ball in competition, but only a few on the range.

“Always thought if he played like he hits balls on the range, it would be exciting to see,” O’Hern posted on social media.

“That is, 2 looks at the target, then pull the trigger, rather than the 5-6-7-8-9 looks he has when hitting shots on the course.”

O’Hern probably was not suggesting McIlroy implement this change during the final round of The Masters on Sunday.

However, the Northern Irishman could consider O’Hern’s advice for future events.

Especially when McIlroy becomes more tense in high-pressure situations, a quicker pre-shot routine may help him relax.

Ludvig Aberg is a prime example of a player who stands up to the ball and pulls the trigger within 10 seconds.

Read more: