Rory McIlroy discussed how advice from Phil Mickelson helped him secure victory at the Masters last April, completing his career Grand Slam. In a virtual press conference ahead of the 2026 Champions Dinner, McIlroy highlighted the key to success at Augusta National.
Rory McIlroy won the Masters last April by outlasting Justin Rose in a playoff, earning the green jacket after years of near misses. In 2011, he held a four-shot lead after 54 holes but shot an 80 on Sunday, finishing tied for 15th. He had achieved seven top-10 finishes there since, but last year's triumph marked his first win at the event. McIlroy reflected on this during a virtual press conference on Wednesday with select reporters, discussing lessons learned from his victory. He credited a practice round with three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson about 15 years ago. Mickelson told him: “Rory, one of the reasons I love Augusta National is because I feel I can be so aggressive here.” Initially puzzled, McIlroy came to appreciate this mindset, bolstered by improvements in his putting and short game. These changes allowed bolder approach shots despite the course's punishing misses. In his winning final round, aggression yielded birdies on the front nine. However, turning defensive on the back nine after taking the lead caused issues: a double bogey on the 13th, bogey on the 14th. He rebounded with an aggressive birdie on the 15th. McIlroy noted: “The first time that my mindset or my tactics went a little bit defensive, like trying to protect the lead, that’s when I got into trouble.” Despite a bogey on the 72nd hole, he birdied the first playoff hole to prevail. McIlroy now prepares to defend his title in coming weeks.
