McIlroy targets Masters’ record

When the Masters tee-off in less than a month, Rory McIlroy will try to become just the fourth player ever to win three consecutive majors, and just the sixth player in the Masters era (since 1934) to complete the career grand slam.

McIlroy began 2015 in Dubai, where he looked like the same player who won two majors and was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2014.

In eight stroke-play rounds (all under par) in Dubai, he had a cumulative 40 under par and posted a scoring average of 67.0.

But in six rounds (two weeks) of PGA Tour play in the United States, it’s been a different story — just one round under par and a cumulative score of six over par.

He even missed cut at The Honda Classic in his first start of a season, and it’s the first time since 2011 that he’s cumulatively over par after his first two stroke-play PGA Tour events.

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s play in Dubai and the United States has been his performance on the par 5s.

In Dubai, McIlroy played 32 total par 5s (four per round), and recorded 19 birdies and 0 bogeys on those holes (4.41 scoring average, 59 percent conversion rate).

On the PGA Tour, he’s played 20 total par 5s, making seven birdies and an eagle (4.70 scoring average, 40 percent conversion rate).