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Can an amateur help Rory McIlroy win the Masters?

Rory McIlroy holds the Claret Jug after winning the 2014 British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Course.
(Andrew Yates / AFP / Getty Images)
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With his victory in the British Open last week, Rory McIlroy needs only a Masters win to complete a career Grand Slam.

And he might turn to an amateur golfer for help in that quest.

Jeff Knox is regarded as the best player among Augusta National’s membership and sometimes fills in during the tournament when an odd number of professionals make the cut. This year, he ended up playing with McIlroy during the third round.

He finished with a score 70 that day. McIlroy came in at 71,

“He’s the best I’ve ever seen on Augusta’s greens,” McIlroy said this week.

The golfer from Northern Ireland was so impressed that, according to the Augusta Chronicle, he sent a letter to Knox after the tournament, suggesting they get together at Augusta a few times before the 2015 Masters.

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“It’s just taken me a few years to figure out the greens and figure out where you need to miss it and some different little shots that you might need that week,” McIlroy said.

Talking about Knox after the British Open, McIlory reiterated that “I might have to take a couple of trips up before it next year and have a couple of practice rounds with him.”

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