Rory McIlroy reveals Augusta National changes after Hurricane Helene ripped through Masters course
Rory McIlroy made a trip to Augusta National Golf Club a few weeks before this year's Masters tournament tees off and noticed a few changes to the legendary course.
The devastating destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene on Augusta National has been laid bare by drone footage from several months back.
The home of the Masters was hit by the catastrophic hurricane that swept through the southeastern United States in late September of last year, leaving behind unfathomable damage to millions of Americans.
The infamous golf course fell victim to the 130mph gusts, leaving the usually-pristine grounds of the notoriously-private club in disarray.
Now, McIlroy was one of the first to detail what the revamped greens and such will look like for golf's best.
'Yeah, the loss of a few trees is definitely noticeable,' McIlroy said after a practice round at the Houston Open.
'But in terms of like they've had to redo that green, it's exactly the same as it was. Apart from maybe a few less shadows on the green late in the day because of a couple of trees that were lost, it's pretty much the same.'
Rory McIlroy made a trip to Augusta National a few weeks before this year's Masters
The home of the Masters was hit by the catastrophic Hurricane Helene last September
McIlroy won the Players Championship this month, as the Northern Irishman still searches for his first major-tournament win in over a decade.
The trip to Georgia is not far from his home in Florida, with any recon making his route to end his major-less streak worth it.
'I use those trips just to refamiliarize myself with the place, clubs off tees, looking to see if they changed any greens,' McIlroy continued. 'It's nice to play a practice round without people around. It takes the pressure off the start of the week.'
Through the first round of the Houston Open, McIlroy is even par, five strokes behind the co-leaders.
The Masters will be held on April 10-13 when World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will defend his title.
