Rory McIlroy's Key Areas in Need of Improvement Ahead of the Masters

The 2015 Masters is fast approaching, and Rory McIlroy will need to be at the top of his game if he's to claim the only major that has so far eluded him.

Judging by some of his recent performances, it seems there's a few wrinkles for McIlroy to iron out before hitting Augusta National in two weeks' time. 

The Northern Irishman has just concluded play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida, where he finished tied for 11th, eight strokes behind winner Matt Every. 

According to Bob Harig of ESPN, McIlroy admitted there are, "A few areas of the game that I need to tidy up going in there, but saw enough good signs, positive signs to be optimistic in the next couple of weeks and I know what I need to work on."

Here, we take a look at what areas the world No. 1 needs to improve in time for the Masters.

Putting

Putting is, of course, one of the most fundamental areas of the game and an area that has given McIlroy trouble in recent months.

At the Abu Dhabi Championship in January, McIlroy needed 34 putts in his third round, much to his chagrin. Per the Daily Record, he said: "I just feeling like punching myself after that round. I didn't putt well at all. I misread a lot of greens and struggled with the speed of them."

Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, he suffered a recurrence of the problem at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, though The Guardian's Ewan Murray did not feel overly concerned.

However, the golfer's problems did not stop there. McIlroy missed this putt from under three feet, and it is not the first time he has done so:

McIlroy will need to spend time on his short game and keep his cool if he's to triumph in Augusta.

Wedge Play

When quizzed about what he needed to work on, McIlroy admitted his wedge play was a concern, per Bob Harig of ESPN:

"

Wedge play needs quite a bit of work. Not taking advantage of getting it up close to the green. If I'm getting ready for just Augusta and I'm thinking about it, there is quite a few wedges for me there and going to concentrate a lot on from 120 yards in the next couple of weeks and try to get that as sharp as I possibly can.

"

Though there were some encouraging signs (see the marvellous chip-in below), it's crucial that McIlroy gets his wedge game right.

In an interview with Peter Morrice for The Courier Mail, he admitted the importance of hitting tight shots with the wedge. 

This goes doubly for Augusta, where the tight lies make it difficult to get under the ball, per Golf.com. If McIlroy can't place his approach shots well, it may not even matter what happens with his putting.

Draw

McIlroy has also recently expressed frustration with his draw:

According to Brian Wacker of PGATour.com, the draw is an important shot shape at Augusta National, so McIlroy has his work cut out to prepare himself before he arrives in Georgia.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

In particular, his draw will need to be perfect when he reaches Amen Corner, particularly the dogleg left at Hole 13.

If he finds himself hooking his shots or, worse, slicing them, he'll find it tremendously difficult to keep up with the likes of Henrik Stenson or Bubba Watson.

Temperament

In addition to his technical game, McIlroy will also need to work on preparing himself mentally. Augusta is one of the most challenging golf courses in the world, so there can be no room for error or failing to hold your nerve.

As Brian Wacker notes, McIlroy struggled at Bay Hill, where he responded poorly to his mistakes.

This could suggest that currently, the Northern Irishman is struggling to hold his nerve and bounce back mentally.

His performance in Orlando came just weeks after his loss of temper at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, in which he threw his three-iron into a water hazard:

There are promising signs that McIlroy is working to prepare himself, though.

According to The Guardian's Ewan Murray, McIlroy has now ended his competitive preparation for the Masters and will take himself out of the spotlight to train privately, which can have a profoundly positive effect on his mental state.

If the world No. 1 can get his head right, the rest of his game should soon follow. If he can do that, then there's a good chance McIlroy will be sporting a green jacket on April 12.