Bones Mackay returns to Augusta National this week, a course where Fil Mickelson cadrada three green jackets.
The 59 -year -old caddy did not make the trip last year, since he and Justin Thomas separated only one week before the tournament after approximately two and a half years of work together.
But now, as a NBC analyst again, he is in the call to tradition as any other.
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Jim “Bones” Mackay walks to the green Putt during a round of practice for the masters in the Augusta National Golf Club. (Red Kyle Terada-USA Today)
And, like many of us, he has a specific interest of rooting.
“I think Scottie Scheffler is the favorite, but there is no doubt that Rory Mcilroy is the sentimental favorite,” Mackay said in a recent interview with Pak Gazette Digital. “You would hate seeing a guy like Rory playing all their career and not winning the masters and reaping the benefits of the Champions dinner and having that green jacket. It is too good and has done too much to the game so that it does not happen. As much as Scottie is the favorite of the bets, secretly, in secret Rory I will have a good week.”
This year, Mcilroy can use IBM Hole Insights to try to get that long -standing jacket. IBM Hole Insights 2.0 Take advantage of Watsonx Technologies, including the LLM Granite, to offer information based on data around each shot taken in each hole in Augusta National.
The golfers, and even fans, can see more than 180,000 past shots and ball positions to give context for each hole, as well as ideas of the caddies of the past teacher tournament.
Golf Channel journalist at the Bones Mackay course during the first round of the Sony Open Golf Tournament in Waialae Country Club.
Bones said technology is now completely in use for golfers and caddies equally.
“It is an incredibly useful feature for players and caddies, because they can see what is happening in the golf course before their rounds, see and see how they are playing certain holes,” Mackay said. “You are starting to take charge now. You will have players who come out and have this IBM information and say another course like this “.
Mcilroy is still absent from a green jacket, and his great drought has reached more than a decade after winning four before the age of 26. The United States open last year almost took home, but lost two putts worth 6.5 feet in two of the last three holes, all while Bryson Dechambeau had a legendary in 18 in Pinehurst.
Mcilroy has held before, but even his final round 81 in 2012 is still coming.
“In Augusta National, it can certainly get into your head a little. It is much easier to win the tournament for the second and third time,” Mackay said. “Scottie will always have that green jacket. He will always return to dinner Tuesday night, and Rory desperately wants to be part of that. He has a perfectly suitable game for this golf course, but it is more a mental battle than a physics.”
Rory Mcilroy is removed during a masters practice in the Augusta National Golf Club. (Kyle Terada-Imagn images)
Mcilroy will take with Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia at 1:12 pm et on Thursday.
