Colin Montgomerie advises Rory McIlroy to purge his Masters agony by practising for the perfect 10th "I hope that he hits as many shots off that tee in practice as possible and gets it out of the way," the Scot said of McIlroy, who has headed to Augusta this week for his first look at the course set-up. That's the shot everybody will be focusing on come Thursday, and let's hope he gets rid of that. It was just a poor shot at the wrong time. He's a much more mature player than he was a year ago. Meanwhile, the Houston Open begins in Texas on Thursday, with Lee Westwood seeking to make a statement of his own ahead of The Masters. "I look forward to a major a lot more than I used to," the world No 3 said. I feel like my game is better equipped to tackle major championship golf courses. Westwood who will make his 56th attempt to win a major next week, is warming up in the Houston Open for the fourth year running. There is a difference this time, though. He did not stop at Augusta en route to Texas. Woods and Phil Mickelson are among those who like to start their Masters preparations early, but Westwood has changed his mind on that. "I didn't think it was that necessary," the 38 year-old said. It's a nice place to go and soak up the atmosphere with nobody there and get some work done, but the course isn't really reflective of how it's going to be on Thursday morning next week. I thought the extra couple of days at home would do me more good. Runner-up to Mickelson at Augusta two years ago, Westwood has not only seen Ryder Cup team-mates Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke all win majors since then, but also two more stablemates in Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Colin Montgomerie will be a Sky Sports commentator for the Masters