Rory Rollercoaster as Spieth Slips

McIlroy at Augusta, Round 2

Rory McIlroy believes the Masters "owes" him a green jacket to complete the career grand slam after setting up a mouthwatering battle with defending champion Jordan Spieth.

McIlroy could have won his first major title at Augusta National when he took a four-shot lead into the final round in 2011, only to collapse to a closing 80 to finish 10 shots behind the winner Charl Schwartzel.

The 26-year-old bounced back to win the US Open two months later and the US PGA title in 2012, meaning victory in the Open at Hoylake in 2014 left him needing victory in the Masters to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in having won all four majors.

"I sort of feel that Augusta owes me something and I have come with that attitude," McIlroy said after a second round of 71 in swirling winds left him just a shot behind Spieth, who struggled to a 74. "I have come here to get something that I should have had a long time ago.

"You need to be so focused and in control of your emotions here. It's about not getting fazed and mentally I have been good the last couple of days. I need to keep that going for the next two days."

McIlroy was eight shots behind Spieth after 11 holes as the world number two threatened to turn the tournament into a procession for the second year running in his quest to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in making a successful title defence.

However, The Masters ChampionsSpieth then four-putted the fifth and became noticeably annoyed at being timed for slow play around Amen Corner on his way to his worst score in 10 rounds as a professional.

McIlroy took full advantage with birdies on the 13th, 15th and 16th to put himself in a great position, but admits he needs to ignore who he is playing with and the significance of what he is trying to achieve.

"Look, I know it's a very big weekend for me. I know that," he said. "But when I'm out there on the golf course, I just have to be completely 100 per cent focused on the task at hand, and if I can do that and stay in the moment and be completely focused over every golf shot I hit from now until Sunday night, then hopefully everything will work out the way I want it to."

Despite his rollercoaster round, Spieth still became the first player in Masters history to hold the outright lead for six rounds in succession, but joked he would rather play with someone "less threatening" than McIlroy.

"We seem to both be on our games right now and focusing on this week. With a lot of players behind us there is potential for someone to shoot a few under tomorrow and move into the lead from outside the top 25.

"I don think either one of us will focus on each other, we'll focus on the course. Sure it's exciting to play with Rory, but we'll not think much more of it."

The top 32 players are separated by just six shots.

Shane Lowry remains just four off the lead despite singing for a 76.

US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau was also on level par after a triple-bogey seven following two wild drives on the 18th, when a par would have made the 22-year-old the only player in the field to break 70.

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The Masters - Preview

Rory McIlroy

Golf's first major of the year is almost upon us, with the world's finest players preparing to make their annual pilgrimage to one of sport's most iconic venues.

The first tee shot will be hit on Thursday, 7 April, with a field of fewer than 100 men aiming to sink the winning putt on Sunday, 10 April.

World number one Jason Day, Jordan Spieth - bidding to become the first man to defend the title since Tiger Woods in 2002 - and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy head the field in the year's first major.

Few people, including the bookmakers, are looking past the world's top three players - Day, Spieth and McIlroy - to set the agenda at Augusta.

Day and world number two Spieth won three of last year's four majors, while 26-year-old McIlroy is looking to complete the career Grand Slam.

Spieth, 22, has failed to find his best form in recent weeks, missing a cut for only the eighth time since the start of the 2014 season, before narrowly avoiding another early exit two weeks later.

The American defended his form after being called "garbage" by an internet 'troll', while McIlroy backed his rival by insisting Spieth's form was "not slumping".

US PGA champion Day, 28, has continued his fine start to the season by winning back-to-back tournaments, showing little rustiness from a three-month break at the end of last year after becoming a father for the second time.

The Australian suffered an injury scare in his opening pool match at last month's WGC-Dell Match Play, but recovered to win the tournament for the second time in three years.

McIlroy steps on to Augusta's first tee on Thursday aiming to become only the sixth man to claim the clean sweep.

Rory is seeking a first Masters title following victories at the US Open, the Open Championship and the US PGA.

Winning the Green Jacket would propel him into exalted company alongside Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player and Ben Hogan.

And that is the world number three's main priority. "It's all about Augusta," he said last month.

McIlroy will miss Augusta's annual Par 3 Contest, which takes place the day before Thursday's first round, in order to concentrate on winning the year's first major.

"Maybe the decision not to play it this year can work in my favour," he said, perhaps bearing in mind the 'Par 3 curse' - no player has won both in the same year.

McIlroy might well offer the best hope of providing a first European winner since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999, but he is just one of 16 British and Irish players aiming to emulate the Spaniard.

Former US Open champion Justin Rose, currently ranked eighth in the world, continues his search for a second major, while fellow Englishman Danny Willett is expected to make his second Augusta appearance following the birth of his first child.

The Yorkshireman has risen from outside the top 100 to the fringe of the top 10 in less than two years.

Familiar names such as Lee Westwood - who sneaked into the world's top 50 in mid-December to qualify - Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter all return to Augusta.

England's Andy Sullivan and Scotland's Russell Knox, who both broke into the top 50 last year, will step into the locker room for the first time.

At the other end of the scale, veterans Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, both 58, will play after accepting their annual invites as past champions.

Europe's contingent have not won at Augusta since two-time winner Olazabal's last success 17 years ago, allowing American players to regain dominance of the Masters in recent years.

The famed Georgia course has produced eight home winners in the past 12 years - and, as well as Spieth, there are several others with strong ambitions of becoming the third consecutive American champion.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, the world number four, is one of the favourites alongside Spieth, McIlroy and Day.

The 37-year-old left-hander heads to Augusta having claimed two wins as well as a second-place finish in his eight tournaments this year.

Phil Mickelson - a three-time winner and veteran of 12 other top-10 finishes at Augusta - is expected to mount another challenge, while Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed - who are all ranked inside the world's top 10 - will head down Magnolia Lane hopeful of winning their first major.

Recent Masters winners

2015: Jordan Spieth (US) 2010: Phil Mickelson (US)

2014: Bubba Watson (US) 2009: Angel Cabrera (Arg)

2013: Adam Scott (Aus) 2008: Trevor Immelman (SA)

2012: Bubba Watson (US) 2007: Mach Johnson (US)

2011: Charl Schwartzel (SA) 2006: Phil Mickelson (US)

Away from the Americans, look no further than 2016's form man - 2013 champion Adam Scott.

The 35-year-old Australian leads the PGA Tour standings - just ahead of Day - after claiming back-to-back titles last month.

Scott claimed the Honda Classic at Palm Beach and then beat Watson by one shot at the WGC Championship at Doral.

"I think Bubba is the favourite," said Scott after pipping Watson with a closing 69 at Trump National in Miami.

"Even if I won every tournament I play before the Masters, if Bubba keeps finishing second, I'd still think he's favoured. It just sets up so good there for him."

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Injury Keeps Tiger Out of Masters

Tiger Woods will not take part in next week's Masters because of a back injury.

Woods, 40, has not played competitively since August and has had two operations in an attempt to cure the problem.

The American insists he is "making progress" in his recovery but has put no timescale on his return to action.

"I've decided it's prudent to miss this year's Masters," read a statement. "I've been hitting balls and training daily, but I'm not physically ready."

Former world number one Woods also pulled out of the tournament in 2014 with a back problem and finished in a tie for 17th last year.

"I've said all along that this time I need to be cautious and do what's best for my long-term health and career," he added. "Unfortunately, playing Augusta next week wouldn't be the right decision.

"I'm absolutely making progress, and I'm really happy with how far I've come, but I still have no timetable to return."

The 14-time major winner, who has slipped to 472nd in the world rankings, will attend the Champions Dinner at Augusta National on Tuesday.

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US Seeks Lance Medical Records

The US government says it wants Lance Armstrong’s medical records from his 1996 cancer treatments because they could prove just how far he was willing to go to conceal performance-enhancing drug use from the public and his sponsors.

The former cyclist is vigorously fighting release of his medical records from the Indiana University School of Medicine as part of a whistleblower lawsuit in which the government wants to recover more than $30m in sponsorship the US Postal Service paid Armstrong and his teams. Penalties could reach as high as $100m.

Despite his admissions publicly and under oath to using steroids and other drugs as far back as 1993, the government is still pursuing a key allegations that had dogged Armstrong for years: whether he told doctors in 1996 he was using a host of performance-enhancing drugs and later sought to bury any evidence of the conversation through lawsuits, threats and charitable donations.

Armstrong’s efforts to “blunt this allegation ... were critical to hiding the truth of his doping from, among others, the United States Postal Service,” the government said in documents filed last week in a Washington DC court.

Armstrong’s lawyers have asked Judge Christopher Cooper to dismiss a subpoena for records, calling it “harassment” and an invasion of privacy because Armstrong admits to doping to win the Tour de France seven times. Cooper could rule on the records this week.

In its arguments to get the hospital records, the government questions whether they could contradict a 2005 sworn statement from Dr Craig Nichols, one of Armstrong’s physicians, who said there was no record of performance-enhancing drug use.

The government notes the doctor’s affidavit contradicts sworn statements from Armstrong’s former team-mate, Frankie Andreu, and his wife, Betsy Andreu, who said they were in Armstrong’s hospital room and heard him admit drug use.

The doctor’s statement said he monitored Armstrong’s blood levels from 1997 to 2001 and found “nothing irregular,” specifically no use of the blood booster EPO. As an expert in using EPO to treat cancer patients, Nichols said he would likely have noticed it in his system. But Armstrong admitted under oath last month that he used EPO during that time.

Armstrong for years denied the hospital room conversation took place. He now says he doesn’t recall because it was two days after surgery to remove tumors from his brain.

The government has also subpoenaed records of donations to the medical school from the Livestrong charity. Government lawyers note Livestrong gave $1.5m to the school two days after witnesses first testified of the alleged hospital room conversation. Nichols is a former Livestrong board member.

Armstrong says the donation was made to honor Dr Larry Einhorn, another doctor who devised the treatments that saved Armstrong’s life.

In a separate but related case, Armstrong’s lawyers will be in a Dallas court later this week asking a judge to dismiss a $10m sanction against Armstrong related to a 2005 lawsuit that first raised the issue of the hospital room conversation.

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