The WGC-Cadillac Invitational is getting started up from TPC Blue Monster at Doral in Florida and both Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods will be the main focus as players tee off on Thursday morning.
McIlroy has been in the news after his walking off the course at the Honda Classic last week and after he quit, he admitted he regretted doing it and that it wouldn't happen again. The number one golfer in the world also had to deny that he broke up with girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki after the internet started buzzing.
McIlroy has struggled this season since making the switch to Nike equipment and he missed the cut at Abu Dhabi before getting eliminated in the first round at Match Play before his Honda Classic walk-off.
"I wasn't in a good place with my golf game," McIlroy said during a packed news conference in advance of the WGC-Cadillac Invitational. "Mentally, my head was all over the place.
McIlroy has the chance to erase some of the bad taste from the start of the year with some solid play the tournament in Miami and he is in a good position to do so. After playing so poorly, McIlroy will be motivated over the weekend and although he will have most of the focus, Tiger Woods will be looked at after his uneven play at Honda.
Woods has had past success at this course after winning at Blue Monster three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007 and although he hasn't won a WGC event recently, this could be his shot. The Masters are coming up soon and both golfers will be looking to improve and get some momentum heading to Augusta.
Jim Furyk could be a wild card, as he has three top-four finishes at Doral, but he has had a slow start to the year as well and has yet to finish in the top 10.
McIlroy said that his problems this season have not been due to the equiptment change, but the media has speculated that the two are connected. McIlroy will have no issues with missing the cut, since there is no cut, but he will be looking to start playing better as the schedule turns to Augusta.
"It is a swing change in terms of, I am trying to change my swing, but I'm trying to change it back to where it was," he said. "I don't know if you could classify that as a swing change, I'm just trying to get it back to where I like it, and I've been in that position before, so I can definitely get in that position again."
The golfer will be playing at the Shell Houston Open before the tournament and will look to avoid any similar meltdowns at Doral, which Donald Trump has said he plans to blow up sometime soon.
