Rory McIlroy s simplicity and the curious case of Viktor Hovland

When it comes to this fickle sport called golf, the old saying “different strokes for different folks” holds true when it comes to the pursuit of perfection and immortality.

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, who share a combined 35 PGA Tour victories and four FedExCup titles between them, offer an interesting glimpse as to how the mind works for some of today’s golf stars in their hunt for the most glittering prizes.

With spring in the air, which means the Masters Tournament is around the corner, McIlroy is once again eyeing the coveted green jacket. The Masters has become his holy grail for over the past decade as he dreams of completing a career Grand Slam and joining an elite group comprising Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – the only men to win all four major championships.

A second victory at The Players Championship two weeks ago for his 28th Tour victory has no doubt amped up McIlroy’s aspirations. His game is peaking nicely and his confidence oozing, and this will also be the first time the World No. 2 will enter the Masters with two victories under his belt following a masterful win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.

The early season success has been largely due to a new dimension that he has introduced into his game and approach. In previous years, McIlroy was often reliant on an outstanding ability to unleash ferocious drives that fly a mile, but he showed at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass that a new “three-quarter, three-quarter” iron shot has complemented his artillery of firepower and proven decisive, especially during his three-hole aggregate play-off win over J.J. Spaun at the Players.

This controlled and low-flighted iron shot allows for greater navigation in the wind, which was