Danny Boy to Play The K Club

Danny Willett wins Masters - Getty Images

Danny Willett will pay the Irish Open for his first tournament on European soil since winning the green jacket on Sunday.

The Sheffield golfer took advantage of American Jordan Spieth's spectacular collapse to come from virtually nowhere to win the first major of the season.

The 28-year-old, with just four wins on the European Tour to his career was magnificent in the final stages. He started the round on level par but finished on five-under — ahead of close pal and playing partner, Lee Westwood.

He plays at the Players Championship in Florida next and is scheduled to play at the Irish Open at the K Club in May.

It will be his first tournament appearance at the competition, hosted by Rory McIlroy's Rory Foundation.

Nine years ago, Willett and McIlroy played in the same Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team at Royal County Down.

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Lowry Joins Love III and Louis Oosthuizen

Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry ended a disappointing week on a thrilling note with a hole-in-one in the final round of the Masters at Augusta National on Sunday.

Lowry holed out with an eight iron on the 16th in a final-round 75, his tee shot landing in the perfect spot to the right of the hole and trickling down the slope into the cup.

"It was amazing to have a hole-in-one on 16 around here in the final round," Lowry said. "I just wish I would have been able to come up with more birdies, but it was a perfect shot.

"I just hit it in right of the hole and (the slope) just took it down and in. I feel pretty lucky to have a hole-in-one around this place, in this tournament. It's nice. I'm sure I'll get a picture somewhere and frame it in the house and it will be a nice memento to have."

After picking the ball out of the hole, Lowry motioned as if he was going to throw it into the crowd, but added: "No, I wasn't giving the ball away. My last hole-in-one in competition my parents were there as well in Dubai and I still have the ball from that. So I feel like I'll keep that one."

Lowry was just two shots off the lead after an opening 68, but fell out of contention with a 76 on Friday and struggled to a 79 in Saturday's third round.

"Yesterday it was just a tough day and I just let it get away from me," added the 29-year-old. "Friday didn't go too well obviously either. I feel like my game wasn't there, I didn't hole enough putts. I made a few bad decisions.

"I feel like I could have done a lot better and I'm a bit disappointed with the week as a whole. When I sit back and look at it, this week will definitely help me in the future. So I've got to look at it that way.

"There's a lot of good positives to take out of it. I feel like my iron play was quite good for most of the week, just a few bad breaks here and there the last couple of days and I feel like I could have been a little bit closer to the lead, but that's the way major golf is and that's the way this course is.

"Every week you play a major, especially the Masters, is a learning curve and I learned a lot this week and I'm sure I'll take it with me in the future."

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McIlroy Feels Pressure of Slam

Rory McIlroy final round of Masters - Getty Images

Rory McIlroy fired a closing 71, which featured seven birdies and six bogeys and admitted he felt the pressure of trying to complete the career grand slam after a disappointing weekend at Augusta National.

McIlroy went into the third round of the Masters just a shot behind defending champion Jordan Spieth, but struggled to a 77 to fall five shots adrift, a deficit he never threatened to make up on Sunday.

" I was in a great position going into the weekend and I just didn't play the golf I needed to when it really mattered," McIlroy said after a closing 71 featuring seven birdies and six bogeys. " That's the thing that I take away not just from this week, but from previous Masters.

"I've been in position before and I haven't got the job done when I needed to and I don't think that's anything to do with my game, I think that's more me mentally - I'm trying to deal with the pressure of it and the thrill of the achievement if it were to happen. I think that's the thing that's really holding me back.

"The more times I can get in position to win this tournament, the more times I'll learnand I'll know what not to do. And I feel like I learned a lot yesterday reflecting on it and that's something that hopefully I'll do things differently.

"This is the one that I haven't won and this is the one I want to win more than anything else. I won a Claret Jug, I want to win more. I won a Wanamaker (Trophy), I won the US Open, but this is the one that I haven't.

" Once I overcome that mental hurdle that I'm struggling with at the minute, then I know how to play this course. I've played this course very well before and I can string good rounds together here, but it's just a matter of doing it."

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Still Can Win The Masters - Rory McIlroy

Spieth and McIlroy, R3 - Getty Images

Rory McIlroy believes he still has a chance to win the Masters and complete the career grand slam after Jordan Spieth's late stumble threw the tournament wide open.

Spieth held a four-shot lead with two holes to play and was eight clear of playing partner McIlroy, who struggled to a 77 and failed to record a single birdie for the first time in 81 major championship rounds.

However, the defending champion then bogeyed the 17th and ran up a double bogey on the last to finish just a shot ahead of compatriot Smylie Kaufman, with McIlroy another four shots behind.

"I couldn't get anything going really," McIlroy said. "It felt more like a US Open than a Masters today. I am disappointed. I felt like I righted the ship a little on the back nine but couldn't take the few opportunities I gave myself.

"If I am to take heart from anything then it's the fact Jordan has just let a lot of people in after his finish. But I need to get off to a fast start tomorrow. The forecast is for better conditions and we know stranger things have happened, but I need to play a lot better than I played today.

"I think it's winnable from here. If Jordan hadn't had that finish then I would probably say no, but he finished that way and the guys on two and three over like myself feel like we have a chance now. I just have to make sure that I get off to a fast start and put some red numbers on the board and make a bit of noise to put a bit of pressure on the guys playing behind me.

"I need to be more aggressive. I played very tentatively today right from the get-go. I hit it in the bunker on two and that was the way of it. I didn't birdie any of the holes I had been doing for the first two days, I didn't take advantage of the par fives.

"I made a couple of big numbers and had no red on the card and that is never going to bode well. I was trying so hard on that last putt to just make one birdie today but it wasn't to be.

"I'm only five back and I can't believe I am standing here saying that because I was eight behind standing on the 17th tee. I need to regroup and stay positive and go out and attack tomorrow."

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McIroy Must Make Most of Par 5's - Montgomerie

Colin Montgomerie, Sky Sports

Colin Montgomerie believes Rory McIlroy needs to continue to make the most of the par-fives and cut out the mistakes in his game after a steady start to the Masters.

The world No 3 bogeyed the last hole to close a two-under 70 and sit four shots adrift of early pacesetter Jordan Spieth, with the four-time major champion having the most success on Augusta's longer holes.

McIlroy carded an eagle and two birdies when tackling the par-fives on Thursday, which Montgomerie feels keeps the Northern Irishman in contention.

"He has played them in his four under which he had to do and that has kept them in it," Montgomerie told Sky Sports. "He is driving the ball magnificently and he'll be very disappointed with his finish after the driving the ball so brilliantly.

"He has done what he has to do and he has to keep doing that over the next three days. He has to keep birdieing these par-fives. If he does that, then he has a chance.

"The rest of the course he played in two over, which isn't that great, but those par-fives have kept him in the top 10.

"There were four dropped shots from Rory, which is four too many for someone as good as Rory. He has got to cut out the unforced errors like at 18 if he is to beat Jordan Spieth.

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McIlroy Heads One Direction at Augusta

Niall Horan

It's a year since One Direction star Niall Horan took a tumble as he caddied for Rory McIlroy at the annual Masters Par 3 Contest.

Most players treat the contest as light relief and invite family or friends to act as their caddies, and Horan's blossoming friendship with McIlroy resulted in the singer being asked to caddie for the then world No 1 at Augusta.

Horan certainly was not the first caddie to find the hazard when given the chance to tee it up at the final hole, but worse was to come as he slipped on the pine straw just as the pair were about to be interviewed by Kirsty Gallacher.

But despite his stumble, Horan admitted it was an enjoyable experience.

"It's just great to be at Augusta," Horan told Sky Sports 4. "I knew about a year ago I had the time off to come to the Masters. Then I met this man (McIlroy) and he asked me, 'did I want to carry the bag on Wednesday?' Of course, if the world No 1 asks you to carry his bag, you carry it!"

On getting to play in front of a large crowd, he added: "I can't say I've been that nervous in a long time! It was tough, but it was alright! It's great to be around Rory. It's a big week for him and hopefully come Sunday he'll have a green jacket on his back."

McIlroy added: "The deal was if I made him hit a shot here, they're playing in Boston when I'm there at the end of summer and I'll have to go up on stage and maybe sing a few lines, so (I'm) not looking forward to that!

"It has been a great afternoon and he’s a great sport for doing it."

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Veteran McCluskey Caddies for GMAC

GMAC and Kevn McCluskey

US Army veteran Kevin McCluskey caddies for Graeme McDowell in the Par 3 event at the Masters eight years after having both legs blown off in Afghanistan and also losing all sight in his right eye.

McCluskey, who is from Philadelphia and served with the 101 Airborne Division in Afghanistan, said that he had been left "speechless" by McDowell's offer.

2010 US Open champion McDowell, whose two-under-par total left him six behind winner Jimmy Walker in the Par Three event, said that McCluskey's battles "puts life and golf in perspective".

"I hit a roadside bomb. I lost both my legs. One above the knee and one below the knee. I have a fake hip and a fake pelvis," said the US Army veteran.

"I lost a lot of motion in my wrist but I'm getting it back to normal now.

"I had shrapnel go through my face so I'm blind in my right eye but other than that I'm good. My mind is good.

"I've a beautiful family, a beautiful wife and many friends at home. Everybody has just helped me get back to where I need to be."

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Player Sparked McIlroy Improved Fitness

Rory McIlroy - Getty Images

Nine-time major winner Gary Player has revealed he sparked Rory McIlroy's improved fitness by telling the Northern Irishman he was carrying too much weight.

World No 3 McIlroy, bidding to complete a career grand slam by claiming a first Masters title this week, has said he tries to follow the "fine example" set by the 80-year-old South African, who is a pioneer of diet, health and fitness.

Player did not mince his words when advising the Ryder Cup star a few years ago.

He told McIlroy, according to the Daily Mail: "You need to get fit Rory, look at that weight you're carrying. You need to strengthen your core."

McIlroy was then invited by Player to punch him in the stomach, and was shocked when - after a couple of tentative attempts - he landed a harder blow on the veteran, admitting: "It's like punching a wall. You're right, I do need to get fitter."

Player expects the 26-year-old's new gym-honed physique to serve him well in his future career.

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