Rory McIlroy believes he has never “been in better form” coming into the Masters as he looks to finally land the only major title that has eluded him.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman returns to Augusta as one of the favourites to win the Green Jacket this weekend.
McIlroy, who has earned seven top-10 finishes in his previous 16 Masters appearances, has already claimed two tournament wins in 2025.
A dominant final round led to a two-shot victory at Pebble Beach in February, before he mentally reset to win The Players Championship at Sawgrass in a play-off showdown on the Monday.
It is the first time he has won two PGA Tour events before heading to Augusta National.
“I played great at Pebble Beach. Had to do it the hard way at Sawgrass, coming back on the Monday and playing in tough conditions,” McIlroy told BBC Sport NI.
“Those are great confidence builders, they are validations of the stuff I worked on at the end of last year and it shows me my game is on the right track.”
The high level of McIlroy’s game is shown in a number of the key statistics used by the PGA Tour to assess its players.
As well as the obvious measure of the two titles, McIlroy has the lowest scoring average among the 186 players with 69.281.
Scottie Scheffler, the standout dominant player and reigning Masters champion, is second behind McIlroy with 69.499, while the tour average is 71.45.
McIlroy has been solid off the tee and, with getting the better of the devilish Augusta greens crucial, also ranks in the top 10 of the putting stats.
However, he lags down the list in terms of greens in regulation, which is another vital component for Masters champions.
“Every year I come back with the goal of winning this tournament and after the start I’ve had this year I don’t feel like I’ve ever been in better form coming into this week,” McIlroy said.
“I’m happy to be here and I’m excited to get going.”
A sports psychologist & watching Bridgerton – inside McIlroy’s latest history bid
Ever since McIlroy claimed the fourth major of his career – almost 11 years ago – there has been fervent discussion about his chances of winning the Masters to secure a rare ‘career Grand Slam’.
Only five men have completed the full collection of Masters, US PGA Championship, the Open Championship and US Open titles – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Going into the 2015 Masters, McIlroy was the overwhelming favourite to win the Green Jacket.
He had won back-to-back majors in 2014 at the Open and US PGA – having previously won the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA.
McIlroy has made six top-10 finishes at Augusta in the past 10 years but has not won another major since a gripping triumph at Valhalla.
Before his 11th attempt at golfing immortality, McIlroy insists the “excitement outweighs the burden”.
“I understand the narrative and the noise,” he said.
“There is a lot of anticipation and build-up coming into this tournament each and every year, but I just have to keep my head down and focus on my job.”
McIlroy has been working with sports psychologist Bob Rotella in the build-up to his 17th career appearance at the Masters.
The pair are talking, he says, about “trying to chase a feeling” on the course, rather than “getting too much into results and outcomes”.
McIlroy has tried a number of different approach strategies in his bid for the Green Jacket.
This year he decided to play the Houston Open – where he finished fifth – to bridge the three-week gap after Sawgrass.
Before that he made a trip to Georgia for a reconnaissance of Augusta National, which has a slightly different look this year after being damaged by Hurricane Helene.
“Mentally it’s one of the most demanding venues we play all year,” McIlroy told BBC Sport NI.
“Here and the US Open are probably the two you have to take an extra second or two to think about what you’re doing, make sure you’re making the right decision, playing the right shot.
“You have to be on the whole time from first tee shot to last putt on Sunday, and I feel like I’ve got better at doing that over the years.”
Away from the course, McIlroy is hoping some lighter activities can take his mind off his latest tilt.
That includes binge-watching television series Bridgerton – which he claimed he was talked into by wife Erica – and reading a fictional novel “for the first time in a long time” after picking up John Grisham’s The Reckoning.
McIlroy is joined in Augusta by Erica and four-year-old daughter Poppy, who has recently shared his triumphant moments on the course.
The family will take part in the Masters traditional par-three contest on Wednesday alongside McIlroy’s close friends Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood, and their wives and children.
“It’s a nice way to go into the week, a bit of fun on the par three on Wednesday and the real stuff gets started on the Thursday,” McIlroy added.
