Rory McIlroy details consulting Butch Harmon ahead of the Valero Texas Open - “He’s sort of half golf coach, half psychologist”

Rory McIlroy is preparing himself for a shot at becoming the sixth golfer to complete the Career Grand Slam. The Northern Irishman recently contacted Tiger Woods' longtime coach Butch Harmon, just days ahead of the 2024 Masters. The World No. 2 golfer, who hasn’t had the best start to the season, consulted the ace coach to improve his swing.

McIlroy has now opened up on his special consultation with Harmon. Responding to a query on the “specific reason” behind meeting Butch, the 34-year-old said that it wasn’t his first time doing so. The ace golfer noted that he has a good relationship with the legendary coach and wanted to get a ‘second opinion’ regarding his swing.

Furthermore, the four-time Major winner stated that he spent around four hours with Harmon and learned a few pointers. He said Harmon is a “half golf coach, half psychologist,” who improves players with inputs.

Speaking about his meeting with Butch Harmon, Rory McIlroy said in the pre-event press conference at Valero Texas Open (at 2:41):

"I think just after The Players and just sort of struggling… I just thought to myself ‘I'm obviously missing something here and I just would love to go and get a second opinion.’ One thing with Butch is, you go spend time with him and you're always going to feel better about yourself at the end of it, whether you're hitting a better or not. He's sort of half golf coach, half psychologist in a way.

"It's fun to go out there and I went and spent probably four hours with him in Vegas. And he said a couple of things to me that resonated and it's not like it's the same stuff that I've been trying to do with my coach Michael. But he sorts of just said it in a different way that maybe hit home with me a little bit more. So, it was a really worthwhile trip and feel like I've done some good work after that.”

Rory McIlroy further noted that the effect of his work with Harmon will be visible this week at the Valero Texas Open.

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Can Rory McIlroy win the Masters 2024?

Rory McIlroy arrives at the Valero Texas Open this week after a T19 finish at The Players. Notably, the Northern Irishman has had a forgettable start to the 2024 PGA Tour season.

For the unversed, he kicked off the new schedule with a T66 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and followed it up with a T24 at the Genesis Open and two T21s at the Cognizant Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Despite the bad form, the ace golfer is deemed a favorite to win the Masters. According to BetMGM, McIlroy comes into the Augusta National competition with +1,000 odds. He sits second alongside defending champion Jon Rahm on the odds list. Only World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who’s having a stellar season, beats him on the list with +450 odds.

It is pertinent to note that the Masters will feature a stacked field including the likes of Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Smith, Wyndham Clark, and Bryson DeChambeau, among others. It’ll be interesting to see if Rory McIlroy manages to compete a Career Grand Slam by winning next week.