Jeff O'Neill

Then he went and played the golf course with his dad.

That's not normally how you would prepare for the Masters.

But...

To me, the most important thing is that when he gets announced tomorrow, that'll be the most unencumbered and freewheeling he'll ever feel in his life at Augusta National.

He got it done.

It's house money now.

And to me...

That freedom is going to allow him to play well.

I was telling someone the other day, I wouldn't be surprised if he won by six or missed the cut by six.

I mean, who knows what's going to happen because the preparation with the Champions Dinner last night and the immediate obligations and all the things you have to do as the defending champion at the Masters.

But to me, once he tees it up, I think he's going to just freewheel it and we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out.

But to me...

I think Rory McIlroy, there's no reason whatsoever that the injury to the back doesn't bother me at all.

He's healthy.

The three weeks off doesn't really bother me that much either, kind of like with Scottie.

He's been working hard on his game.

I think he's ready to go, and I think he's going to be feeling awfully free out there at Augusta for the first time in his career.

Man, first time since 1994.

that the Masters hasn't been played with Tiger or fill it.

You know, there was a passing of the torch about six or eight years ago on the PGA Tour between those two best players of the generation to kind of the Rory's and the Justin's and the Jordan's and the Scottie's and, you know, that kind of thing.