Rory McIlroy adjusts goals after more frustrations

Rory McIlroy should write a book and call it Unknown Augusta, an insider’s guide to places few have ever been on the world’s most recognizable golf course.

“I’ve seen a lot of this golf course in the last few years,” McIlroy said after another off-road adventure in the Masters Tournament.

In 2011, McIlroy introduced the world to the Peek and Berckmans cabins deep in the pines left of the 10th fairway when he hooked his tee shot and ignited a painful second-nine meltdown. On Friday, he showed us an unfamiliar view from the middle of the azaleas behind the 13th green after hitting a sprinkler head.

“It was a bad shot on 13, (but) I didn’t quite deserve that, hitting the sprinkler,” he said. “But just a frustrating day.”

McIlroy’s frustrations grew again Saturday. Many expected him to lead the field on the weekend, but not as the first player off the tee in the morning with a noncompeting marker. Even worse, McIlroy had to rally from four strokes down to local amateur Jeff Knox after 14 holes and still lost to him by one with 1-under 71.

“It’s fine,” McIlroy said. “It’s good. It would have been different, had it been someone that wasn’t up to Jeff’s caliber. But he played just like he should be playing in the Masters.”

On a day when players were making big moves, McIl­­roy didn’t get on a roll until the end. His birdies at Nos. 15, 17 and 18 helped him climb 22 spots up the leaderboard to a tie for 24th.

“Obviously, I wanted something a little better than that going out this morning,” he said Saturday, “but with the way these greens are and the way the golf course is set up … it’s hard to go really low on this golf course like I needed to, to try and get myself back in the tournament.

“Just put my ball in a couple of wrong positions going into greens and missed it in the wrong spots, and all of a sudden I’m 2-over standing on the 15th tee box. It was nice to birdie three of the last four and shoot something under par.”

Mc­Ilroy has made adjustments to his final-round goals. He would like to at least improve on his five previous Masters.

“My best finish here is 15th, which isn’t really anything to shout about, so it would be nice to play well tomorrow, shoot something in the mid- to high 60s and maybe finish the week in red figures,” he said.