McIlroy leads march of teens into Augusta

By Larry Fine

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Briton Rory McIlroy leads an infusion of young blood into the season's first major championship as one of three teenagers making their U.S. Masters debuts on Thursday.

The 19-year-old from Northern Ireland is the oldest of a teen trio including 18-year-old U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee of New Zealand and 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa from Japan.

"I think it's great for the tournament and for golf in general," McIlroy told a news conference on Monday.

"You look at Ryo Ishikawa, he's won twice on the Japan Tour, once as an amateur, and Danny Lee, won the U.S. Amateur last year and on the European Tour this year, and myself.

"It's great for golf. Hopefully it inspires people that are not that much younger than us to take up golf and try and one day emulate what we have done."

McIlroy, ranked 17th in the world with a win at this year's European Tour Dubai Desert Classic, said the trio had been inspired by top-ranked Tiger Woods.

"We can relate to him in a way, especially that first Masters," said McIlroy, who was mobbed by spectators clamouring for autographs as he made his way to practice on Monday.

"He was only 21 and you could sort of relate to someone that age. You were thinking to yourself, 'Well, hopefully when I'm that age, I can do something like that'."