{"id":373448,"date":"2011-04-08T01:10:22","date_gmt":"2011-04-08T01:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/08\/shopping-one-day-leading-the-masters-the-next-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-04-08T01:10:22","modified_gmt":"2011-04-08T01:10:22","slug":"shopping-one-day-leading-the-masters-the-next-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/08\/shopping-one-day-leading-the-masters-the-next-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Shopping one day, leading the Masters the next (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)\u2014Rory McIlroy<\/a> and his buddies bought a football Wednesday
\nnight, and decided to test it out in the mall parking lot.<\/p>\n

Guess who was watching?<\/p>\n

\u201cBy accident,\u201d Alvaro Quiros<\/a> said. \u201cI was watching Rory play with a rugby
\nball with his friends. Did he tell you that? He was doing terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n

McIlroy is much better with his golf clubs, as he showed Thursday by
\nshooting a 7-under 65 in the first round of the Masters. A few hours later,
\nQuiros had joined him again\u2014this time atop the leaderboard at Augusta
\nNational.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy target tomorrow is to make the cut,\u201d Quiros said. \u201cIt would be stupid
\nto think I can shoot 65 again because it\u2019s not my way. As I said before, 75 was
\nmy best round here. It could be just one good round of golf.\u201d<\/p>\n

For McIlroy, it could be something bigger.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old from Northern Ireland is the leader of golf\u2019s version of the
\nBrat Pack, a group of kids with big games and even more moxie. He turned pro in
\n2007, earned his European card without going to Q-school and broke into the top
\n10 in the world all before he turned 21.<\/p>\n

He tied a major championship record by opening with a 63 at St. Andrews in
\nlast year\u2019s British Open, and has tied for third at three of the last five
\nmajors, including the last two.<\/p>\n

\u201cI seem to play well in the big occasion,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cI always feel
\nthat I have the game to win. It\u2019s just the extra 2 percent here and there that
\nmakes the difference. Those are the sort of things I\u2019ve been working on this
\nyear. \u2026 But I feel as if I\u2019ve shot good enough rounds in the majors and I\u2019ve
\nplayed well enough to believe in myself and believe that I can win a major.\u201d<\/p>\n

To do so, he\u2019ll have to avoid a meltdown\u2014similar to the one he had at St.
\nAndrews. He followed his record round with an 80 that dropped him out of
\ncontention, and pouted his way around the course like a petulant teenager. He
\nrolled his eyes after bad shots, scuffed his shoes and slumped his shoulders.<\/p>\n

If there had been a door to slam somewhere on the Old Course, he probably
\nwould have done that, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, at the time I was very disappointed. But looking back on it, it
\nwas a very valuable lesson in my development as a golfer,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cIt\u2019s
\npossible that I can go out and shoot another 65, but I know that it\u2019s also very
\nlikely that I\u2019m not going to do that. So if I do find myself in a bit of
\ntrouble, I\u2019m going to have to stick in there, grind it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quiros\u2019 plan is much simpler: Hit a good drive on No. 1, and go from there.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old Spaniard has five career victories on the European tour, but
\nhe came to Augusta National without any expectations. He played so poorly in his
\nfirst two appearances here that he once thought maybe he couldn\u2019t play this
\ncourse. When someone asked how he compared with two-time Masters champion Seve
\nBallesteros, Quiros said Ballesteros had the hands of an artist while he had the
\nhands of a bricklayer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe two previous years, I came to the Masters thinking that I can play
\nwell, shoot low. And this was my main mistake,\u201d Quiros said. \u201cIt\u2019s a golf
\ncourse. It\u2019s too tough. Every single situation has to be measured. I mean, the
\nrisk, the reward. And today, I was very happy making pars. This is why probably
\nI shoot 65.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I push myself to shoot 65 from the first tee, I tell you, probably it
\nwill be the same, 75, 76, like the previous years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quiros\u2019 round was even more surprising considering it was his very first
\nround with his new caddie.<\/p>\n

Since winning the Dubai Desert Classic, Quiros has failed to finish better
\nthan 33rd.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like in soccer, or in football. When a team is playing bad, you
\ncannot change the 22 players. The only thing that you can change is the coach,
\nisn\u2019t it?\u201d Quiros said. \u201cIn my case, it\u2019s the same. I cannot change myself.
\nWell, I\u2019m trying to change myself, but it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever he was doing Thursday worked. He had birdies on three of the last
\nfour holes to tie McIlroy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was talking with my caddie about it, walking the 18th hole. It looks
\nlike I was playing Sunday afternoon in the leading group,\u201d Quiros said. \u201cIt
\nwas a very nice feeling because normally, I\u2019m watching this situation through
\nthe TV, sitting on my sofa.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Read the article:
\nShopping one day, leading the Masters the next (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)\u2014 Rory McIlroy and his buddies bought a football Wednesday night, and decided to test it out in the mall parking lot. 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