<p>Rory McIlroy speaks to the media at Augusta National during the 2026 Masters Tournament</p>
Rory McIlroy believes the Masters offers him the best chance to bulk up his Major CV, and he plans to be even more selectively aggressive this year as he looks to make more history at Augusta National.
The Holywood star's heart-stopping 2025 triumph was a rollercoaster of emotions as he blew a four-shot lead playing defensively coming down the stretch before regrouping thanks to some epic attacking play.
He said in the aftermath of his play-off victory over Justin Rose that he'd look for new ways to attack this year, and he's looking forward to the chance to become just the fourth man after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to win back-to-back green jackets.
Having asked the press after his win last year, "What are we going to talk about next year?", winning back-to-back has become the most frequent question he's heard from the patrons.
"I think the nice thing now is instead of it being 'Come on, Rory, you know you can do this, it's 'Back to back," he said. "There's a real positive connotation to it instead of, geez, Rory, we've been waiting a while. When are you going to get this done?
"But it is so nice to walk around the property or be out on the golf course and, yeah, just not have that hanging over me, like it feels that it's a big weight off my shoulders.”
Attacking golf is his forte and after taking seven at the par-five 13th last year by conservatively laying up and then dumping his third shot in Rae’s Creek, he’s looking to attack more this year.
"Look, you're always going to have to pick and choose your spots around here, where to be aggressive and where not to, but I definitely think there are places where I could be more aggressive off the tee," McIlroy said in a relaxed 28-minute press conference.
"I guess how uncomfortable I felt on some tee shots last year, so like the seventh through the 14th and the 17th.
"For me, if I'm going to hit 5-wood or 3-wood into the trees anyway, I may as well hit driver and get it close to the green.
"Yeah, there's a few tee shots out here where I'll just try to be a bit more aggressive, and then if you do hit a good tee shot, you turn a potentially tough hole into a birdie hole."
<img alt="" height="4835" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/64a1dea7-8f33-4167-b9c9-2f00be19c3ca/26JM1_8255.jpg?format=1000w" width="7203" />
<p>Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from a bunker on the No. 12 hole during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Wednesday, April 08, 2026.</p>
Winning more Majors is McIlroy's goal for the next decade, and while he'd love to win an Open at St Andrews and a US Open at Pebble Beach, he feels the Masters is the event that offers him the best chance of matching Nick Faldo's tally of six Major wins and going on to become the most successful European of all time.
Asked which of the four Majors he felt offered him the best chance to add to his tally, he said: "I think this one.
"I think when you've had the experiences that I've had around here, good and bad, I think that can stand to you.
"You come back -- the other major venues, we don't go back to the same place every year.
"So I think that is something I feel like I'm still young, but I'm very experienced. I've been doing this for a long time. This is my 18th start.
"I do feel like I've got another hopefully 10 good shots at this. Not that I don't at the other majors, but I just think that everything here is a little more predictable.
"You know the golf course pretty much. There are subtle changes year after year, but the hole locations are always in similar spots."
Having ended his 11-year Major drought by completing the career Grand Slam last year, McIlroy is a man without a worry in the world this week.
He arrived on Saturday to watch the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur before playing the course with his father, Gerry and taking in the Drive, Chip & Putt contest on Sunday.
"I would have never gotten up here this early," he said of the difference a year makes. "I would have never arrived on a Saturday. I usually arrive on Sunday night, but probably on Monday or Monday evening.
"I think for the past 17 years I just could not wait for the tournament to start, and this year I wouldn't care if the tournament never started (laughter). That's sort of the difference."
His chats with mental coach Dr Bob Rotella remain the same as those they had before he won the Masters, and he's realised that winning last year did not mean he was at the end of the road.
"I think the story, as it relates to me, is what do I do from now onwards? What motivates me? What gets me going? What do I still want to achieve in the game? I think that's the story," he said.
"And there's still a lot that I want to do. You think every time you achieve something or have success that you'll be happy, but then the goalposts move, and they just keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.
"I think what I've realised is, if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that's the big thing because honestly I felt like the career grand slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realised it wasn't the destination."
As for the dinner he was preparing to host and the elaborate menu, he joked: "People keep asking me why didn't you go more Irish? And I said, because I want to enjoy the dinner as well."
He revealed he'd put more thought into the speech he planned to give in front of legends like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw than he had put into the menu.
With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the two big absentees, he said of his speech: "I've thought about it a lot. Honestly, I've probably thought about that more than the food.
"So many legends of the game there. Obviously, there are two that won't be with us this year, which is a shame, but hopefully they will be with us in the future, and I'm sure they will be with us in the future.
"But talking in front of that group, I want to say the right things and make sure I get my feelings across of how grateful I am to be a part of that group."
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