Rory McIlroy waits to play a shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 80th Masters of Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2016, in Augusta, Georgia. AFP / Nicholas Kamm
Rory McIlroy waits to play a shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 80th Masters of Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2016, in Augusta, Georgia. AFP / Nicholas Kamm
Rory McIlroy waits to play a shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 80th Masters of Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2016, in Augusta, Georgia. AFP / Nicholas Kamm
Rory McIlroy waits to play a shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 80th Masters of Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2016, in Augusta, Georgia. AFP / Nicholas K

Rory McIlroy ‘has to recognise that talent alone is not enough’ to win US Masters, says Thomas Levet


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AUGUSTA, Georgia // Rory McIlroy may need to dial back his aggression and play more "Nicklaus-like" to taste victory at Augusta National, according to former British Open runner-up Thomas Levet.

The Frenchman said McIlroy has more than enough ability to earn a Green Jacket, but questioned how his attacking style fit the Masters.

“Rory has so much talent, but he has to recognise that talent alone is not enough, and recognise the dangers here,” Levet said on the eve of the year’s first major.

“If he played more Nicklaus-like, he could save a shot here and there and could win a lot of majors.”

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Not that McIlroy, 26, is doing badly in the majors department. He already has four victories under his belt, but the Masters is the one that has eluded him.

Nicklaus, by contrast, won six Masters. He could play aggressively, but was also a master at switching gears and methodically racking up pars by avoiding risk-taking when the situation warranted.

Asked to provide examples of McIlroy being too aggressive at Augusta, Levet pointed to the Northern Irishman’s tee shot at the 10th hole in the final round in 2011.

McIlroy had a one-shot lead at the time, and Levet reckons he should have hit a fairway wood.

Instead, McIlroy wielded his driver and the subsequent snap-hook out-of-bounds led to a triple bogey, and sent him plummeting from contention.

Does Levet’s critique of McIlroy stand up to scrutiny, or is he off the mark?

McIlroy’s career Masters record reveals he has made 12 double bogeys and three “others” - triple bogey or worse - in 468 holes.

American Zach Johnson, the 2007 champion, by comparison has recorded nine double bogeys and one “other” in 648 holes.

Johnson, regarded as a steady player who does not take many risks, has had fewer double bogeys or worse than McIlroy in considerably more rounds.

That statistic alone does not prove Levet’s theory, but suggests it has some validity.

Levet will get plenty of opportunities to comment on McIlroy this week as part of the French TV commentary team on Canal+.

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If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

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