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The world number two said that he has added the tournament to his schedule as he needs more "competitive golf".
"I need to go and just play competitive golf, that is what I am going there for," he explained.
"If it was a par three course I would go and play it because that is what I need, competitive golf. I need to commit to targets; it doesn't matter if that is on a short course, a long course, a wide course or whatever. As long as I have a scorecard in my hand, that is what I need."
He added that he has played the week before some of the Majors that he has won in previous years.
McIlroy will be wearing his lucky golf shirt and hoping that he gets a much-needed confidence boost at the Texas event following a shaky start to the season which has seen him lose his position as world number one to Tiger Woods.
He lost in the first round of the WGC World Match Play and walked off the course during the second round of the Honda Classic, meaning he has had less time on the green than anticipated.
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