Rory McIlroy adds Houston Open to pre-Masters schedule

Rory McIlroy has changed his plans and will play in the Houston Open before the Masters. He is a two-time winner this season and has performed well in recent tournaments. Originally, he planned to take a break after the Players Championship, but now he has chosen Houston instead of the Valero Texas Open. McIlroy’s recent successes have moved him up to second in the world rankings. He is still behind Scottie Scheffler, who is also competing in Houston. Shane Lowry, in strong form, will not play in Texas since he feels ready for the Masters after a successful Florida Swing. Séamus Power and Pádraig Harrington are the other Irish players in the Houston Open. Power recently achieved a top-10 finish at the Valspar Championship and is hoping to qualify for the Masters by winning in Houston. Harrington is participating thanks to a sponsor's exemption after playing on the Champions Tour last week. Power's good performance has improved his world ranking from 125th to 110th. Tom McKibbin also performed well, finishing third in a tournament in Singapore, which helped him climb in the rankings, too. Viktor Hovland won the Valspar Championship after struggling with his game. His victory improved his ranking significantly. He admitted he still faces challenges but felt proud to win despite not playing at his best. In women's golf, Leona Maguire will compete in the Ford Championship in Arizona after a decent start to her season that includes one top-10 finish.