McIlroy: "I certainly don't want to coast through my career … I want it to be hard"

Rory McIlroy has spoken about his mental toughness and the doors that have opened for him in the business world after winning the Masters to become just the sixth man to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box after launching TPG Sports, a new investment platform targeting opportunities across the global sports ecosystem, the Holywood star opened up about his bad start to the final round at Augusta National and how he managed to get over the line.

"The reason that as athletes, we work so hard and we practice all those hours is to be in those situations to see what you're made of," McIlroy said. "I certainly don't want to coast through my career …

"I want it to be hard. I want to know if all that practice has paid off. That's something that is important to me.

"I think for me, like when you're in those situations, everyone's got a target in mind. So whether good things are happening or bad, that should never take away from whatever that target is.“

McIlroy famously double bogeyed the opening hole to see his two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau disappear before forging a lead and then losing it twice, only to go on and beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff.

"So for me, going out in the final round of the Masters, I wanted to go and shoot four under par that day. And I knew if I shot four under par the likelihood was that I was going to win the Masters," he said.

"But I didn't make winning the Masters the big thing. I made it, can I play this golf course in four under par today? So I try to simplify it, and I try to just think about that one thing.

"So I double bogey the first hole on Sunday, and my target was still four under par. I reminded myself that the previous two days, I shot six under, and I could still shoot six under for the last 17 holes. So my target didn't change."

"Did I get off to a bad start? Absolutely. But I didn't let it change my attitude towards the rest of the round change.

As for his business investments, McIlroy and his firm Symphony Ventures is joining TPG Sports as Operating Partners.

McIlroy and his business partner and manager, Sean O'Flaherty, will contribute to investment sourcing and value creation, adding to prior ventures that include GolfPass with NBC Sports and the TMRW Golf League (TGL).

"The sports landscape is evolving in real-time," McIlroy said. "With TPG Sports, we have the capabilities, capital, and insights to invest behind and grow the businesses that are enabling this transformation."

He pointed out that TPG Sports will not invest in big-ticket sports like the NFL or the NBA.

"It's more can we find interesting businesses that are fuelling the growth of sport, whatever sport that is, and, you know, be put boots on the ground and help those businesses really grow," he said.

"And that's something that, obviously, TPG have a lot of experience with. And Sean and I have been able to help some of these businesses that we are involved with. We've helped them grow.

"So it mightn't be the sexy trophy asset of an NFL team or MBA team, but you know, the businesses that are, you know, sports adjacent, that are helping a lot of these leagues and these and these teams, I guess, go grow and bring them into the 21st century.

The deal with TPG was done before McIlroy won the Masters, and he admitted that win took him to a new level in terms of recognition.

"I think when something like the Masters happens, and you go from being one of the most recognised golfers in the world to maybe you know one of the most recognised athletes, and doing something that very few people in your sport have done, it opens doors," McIlroy said.

"It opens opportunities. But I still want to be patient. I don't. I don't want to be opportunistic.

He said calls have come in from quarters since his incredible win.

"There's been reachouts from all walks of life," he said. “[Does it feel different?] I think so.

"I think winning the Masters is its own thing. I guess being only the sixth golfer ever to achieve the Career Grand Slam is very meaningful for me and something that I've been striving towards for the last decade plus.

"So it does. It feels like I've gone to another category or a different level."