'I know what I'm doing', says McIlroy

(CNN) -- Rory McIlroy says he's not listening to any of his critics in the build up to the Masters as the world No. 2 reflected on his troubled start to 2013.

The Northern Irishman missed the cut at January's Abu Dhabi Golf Championship after announcing a deal with sponsor Nike which could see him earn as much as $250 million.

McIlroy followed that by walking off the course at the recent Honda Classic before apologizing, having struggled to produce his best golf with a new set of clubs.

That stuttering start to the season prompted the world No. 2 to change his schedule -- pulling out of a charity event -- to unexpectedly play this week in the Valero Texas Open, citing the need for more practice ahead of the year's first major at Augusta.

"No one knows what I'm trying to do more than me," the 23-year-old told CNN's Living Golf in an exclusive interview.

"There was a lot of hype at the start of the year obviously with the switch to Nike, coming off the back of such a great year last year. It's nice now everything's settled down a bit.

Read: McIlroy explains Haiti decision

"I know what I'm doing. And I know what I'm working on the course. Of course you see some things sometimes, but you try just to block it out and try, I guess, to have faith in what you're doing."

McIlroy was intending to be in Haiti this week as part of his role as a UNICEF ambassador, before the two-time major winner took the advice of his caddy J.P. Fitzgerald and travel to San Antonio and play more competitive golf ahead of the Masters.

"I decided after my second round in Houston last week," explained McIlroy.

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"My caddy mentioned it to me and I took a moment to think about it. And I thought it was the best thing to get ready for the Masters."

McIlroy's play was patchy at Houston and the Northern Irishman laughed as he recalls hitting the ball in the water 10 times.

But he was also the longest driver in the tournament, and the seventh best putter. He finished tied for 45th, 12 shots adrift of winner D.A. Points.

Resurgent Woods

McIlory, who won the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2012 PGA Championship, readily admits such play will not be good enough to prosper in 2013 -- given the form of a certain player who has just knocked him off the top of the world rankings.

"Tiger's played great golf this year," said McIlroy of his new Nike stablemate and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods.

"It was coming. You could see last year he was getting very close. He won three times last year as well.

"He's been putting very well which is a big key and if he putts like that for the rest of the season he's going to be very difficult to beat."

After Texas, which McIlroy made the deadline to compete by just half an hour, McIlroy heads to Augusta -- insisting competing for the green jacket remains as thrilling as ever.

At the 2011 Masters, McIlroy missed out on the first major win of his career as he threw away a four-shot lead in the fourth and final round.

"Its still the same," said the Northern Irishman. "It might not be quite the same as the first time I went down but you still get a special feeling, a special excitement when you drive down Magnolia Lane. It's just a different atmosphere to anything in golf."

His excitement will be more than matched by golf fans should the Masters turn into a showdown between McIlroy and a resurgent Woods.

Via: 'I know what I'm doing', says McIlroy

Tiger: Pics 'thwarted stalkerazzi'

(CNN) -- Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn released news of their relationship to limit paparazzi intrusion on their romance, the world's No. 2 golfer said Wednesday.

The 14-time major champion is preparing for the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament in Florida, where a win would see him reclaim the number one ranking for the first time in over two years.

Woods and Vonn -- a four time Alpine World Cup skiing champion -- released statements and a series of pictures confirming their relationship on Monday.

And the 37-year-old told a press conference at the Bay Hill course they had put out the snaps to prevent any invasion into their lives from photographers that he referred to as the "stalkerazzi."

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"It's very simple, we're very happy where we are at but also we wanted to limit the stalkerazzi and all those sleazy websites out there following us," he told reporters.

"I've had situations where it's been very dangerous for my kids, the extent that they'll go to. We basically devalued the first photos.

"Unfortunately that's just the way it is in our society right now and we felt it was the best thing to do and we're very happy about it."

The pair's relationship has been big news since Monday's confirmation but Woods is now focused on trying to wrest golf's world No. 1 crown back from friend, rival and Nike stablemate Rory McIlroy.

It would mark a significant transformation for Woods, whose stuttering form in recent years saw his ranking slump past the 50 mark at one point.

But after victory at the Cadillac Championship in Doral last week -- his 17th World Golf Championship title -- Woods can now reach golf's pinnacle if he can secure his 77th PGA Tour triumph.

"I feel like I'm headed in the right direction," he said. "I'm very pleased where I've come from. Like I said, 50plus to where I'm at is no small task.

"I'd like to get to 19-plus (majors) myself. Getting back to number one and all that it entails, it's not easy to get there in the first place. I don't think people realize how hard it is to get to number one in the world.

"It's been a long process. I was hurt for a long time, I had to make swing changes that were drastically different than what I was doing before. It's taken some time."

Woods is defending champion at Bay Hill, beating 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme Dowell by five shots last year to secure his first tournament win since 2009.

He has won four more times in the last 12 months and he puts a large slice of his resurgence down to the fact that he has remained injury free during that period.

"I just needed to get healthy," he added. "Once I got healthy and I was able to practice properly, I felt like then I could implement the swing changes that (coach) Sean (Foley) wanted me to put in there.

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"But I needed to get healthy enough where I could practice. It happened to be a perfect storm where I was making a swing change, and I was hurt, and I couldn't devote any time to it.

"To gradually work my way back, that's something I'm proud of."

Woods' game attracted praise from Palmer himself, who won seven major titles during a glittering career that has seen him regarded as one of the finest to play the game.

"I think right now looking at him and watching him play, he looks probably as strong and as good from a golf perspective as I've ever seen him," the 83-year-old told reporters.

"I think his swing and his posture and his attitude is far better than it's been in some time, and it takes me back to when I first played with him at Augusta when he was a rookie.

"I give him a chance. I suppose that every year it's a little more fleeting, however, and he'll have to really work hard to keep himself up and keep his mental attitude if he's going to do it."

Via: Tiger: Pics 'thwarted stalkerazzi'

'Dufnering' craze grips golf

(CNN) -- Leading golfers Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Keegan Bradley are all "Dufnering".

So it was entirely appropriate that D.A. Points celebrated his win at the Houston Open by posing for the cameras with his best impression of the trend that has gone viral on the internet -- the American golfer slouched on the green with a slightly vacant expression on his face with the tournament trophy by his side.

Before Points' win, which earned him a place at the Masters and a winner's check of $1.16 million, the U.S. PGA Tour event had been buzzing with laughter after the likes of McIlroy et al posted pictures of themselves on Twitter mimicking Jason Dufner's unfortunate photograph of himself looking rather disinterested in a Texas classroom surrounded by children, while performing a charity visit last week.

"What can I say, I was tired, my back hurt from sitting on the floor, and we were talking about relaxation and focusing," tweeted Dufner, explaining his lackadaisical posture and the less than animated expression on his face.

Too late -- Dufnering was quickly trending after a succession of leading golfers gently poked fun at their sporting colleague on Twitter.

Sitting in front of the General Lee car from the Dukes of Hazard television series that he owns, Watson tweeted: "Just Dufnering in the garage!!"

Other sports starts quickly got in on the act, peppering Dufner's Twitter timeline with their own version of the online phenomenon -- former tennis player Andy Roddick even tweeted a picture of his dog "Dufnering".

Given Points had made just two cuts in nine starts this year, the 36-year-old was not surprisingly only too happy to oblige the photographers with his own take on golf's new craze after his win on Sunday at the Redstone Club.

"You know, again, I want to win," Points told the PGA Tour website as he more seriously outlined his future ambitions.

"I want to win more than once. I want to have the opportunity to win majors, I want to play in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups. These are things I want to do and I know I'm capable of doing.

"So I never doubt that I can do it. I certainly get down and frustrated when I make two of nine cuts. That's not making you feel real great about yourself.''

Read: McIlroy explains Haiti decision

Remarkably Points earned his place at the Masters thanks to some help from his mother's putter as he finished one shot ahead of compatriot Billy Horschel and Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

"I've been hitting it better and better, and I saw Brian White for a putting lesson,'' added Points, who holed a 13-foot par putt at the 72nd hole to to clinch victory after thunderstorms had halted play in the closing stretch.

"Gave me a couple things, changed the putter, boom, felt great, and here I am.

"So, the thing about it, is I never count myself out. I never just chalk it up, like, 'Oh, this year is over with.' I've never ever felt like that. I was just grinding, just trying to wait and try to find that one thing that was like, boom, there it is and there I go.

"Fortunately, it was this week and I capitalized on it."

McIlroy, who announced during the tournament that he would postpone a UNICEF charity trip to Haiti in order to add this week's Texas Open to his schedule, finished tied for 45th -- 12 shots behind Points.

He is still seeking his first victory this season, having fallen to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Tiger Woods.

Via: 'Dufnering' craze grips golf