Rory McIlroy reveals Phil Mickelson’s advice that led to Masters win
Rory McIlroy had an additional edge throughout final 12 months’s historic Masters triumph — advice from three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson.
McIlroy, in his pre-Masters press convention Wednesday, mentioned he performed a apply spherical with Mickelson about 15 years in the past. There, he advised McIlroy that the Masters is the very best place to be aggressive.
McIlroy was confused. He’d tended to take it gradual in earlier years with the gravity of the occasion, main to fixed defeats. He switched his technique in 2025, and paid it off.
“I remember thinking, ‘What does he mean?’” McIlroy mentioned, by Golf.com. “I really feel the alternative. I really feel I am unable to be aggressive right here as a result of there’s so many unhealthy locations to miss. But Phil had a lot — nonetheless has, most likely — religion in his brief recreation that if he does miss an method shot by being aggressive, he nonetheless feels he can get that ball up and down.
“I would say by becoming a better putter and by maybe working on my short game a little bit and becoming better around the greens, that probably allowed me to become more aggressive with my approach playing at Augusta,” he added.
Last 12 months, he mentioned he performed extra aggressively on the entrance 9 and constructed a lead.
In the again 9, although, he grew to become extra “defensive” attempting to shield the benefit. That led to a double bogey on gap 13 and bogey on gap 14, inflicting him to flip it up on the next holes.
“There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere of not taking your foot off the gas,” McIlroy mentioned. “Everything that went well for me that day and that week was when I played aggressively, when I went for my shots. That’s probably the lesson to learn.”
McIlroy edged out Justin Rose with a birdie on the primary playoff gap within the ultimate spherical to declare the win at Augusta National final April. He marked his first inexperienced jacket and accomplished his profession Grand Slam.
His 2025 Masters title made him the sixth golfer to seize all 4 trendy main championships.
Following the victory, he tossed his membership skyward and fell to the bottom in an emotional celebration.
In previous years, the victory had escaped him a number of instances. In 2024, he was tied for second after 14 holes however dropped down to 27th after the opening spherical. He finally completed twenty second.
McIlroy’s first alternative to defend his title will are available a couple of weeks when the 2026 Masters begins from April 9-12.
He’s at the moment ranked second on the planet behind Scottie Scheffler, however is nursing a back injury.
