"I'm prepared for everything Augusta's going to throw at me” - McIlroy ready to go back-to-back
Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks over the Hogan Bridge, near the No. 12 green, during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Wednesday, April 08, 2026.
Rory McIlroy might have a green jacket but he's as hungry as ever to add to his Major haul this week.
The Masters champion struggled for motivation after finally ending his Major drought at Augusta National last year.
But with another decade of Major Championship golf ahead of him, he sees his title defence as a chance to make more history.
"I've always needed something, whatever that is, to strive towards," McIlroy told RTÉ Radio as he tries to become just the fourth player after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to win back-to-back Masters titles.
"And I think everyone saw that for the first couple of months after I won the Masters last year, I struggled to find my feet again and get that motivation.
"But 12 months on, reflecting on that a lot and thinking about the next 10 years of my career, what I want that to look like, what excites me, what motivates me, those are the questions that I had to ask myself.
"And I'm excited. I get another shot. I get another opportunity to win another green jacket.
"I've probably got 10 realistic chances at winning this tournament again, and I'm determined to make every one of those 10 count."
After spending the past three weeks working on his game, he's relaxed but also ready for battle.
"These are the tournaments that excite me and still keep me going," he said. “Because I need that drive and those goals to stay motivated and stay focused. And if the majors can't do that, then nothing can."
After coming through last year's back-nine rollercoaster and a play-off to win, he feels there's nothing he can't handle.
"The one thing I do know is there's not much more that this golf course can throw at me, and I've still been able to come out the other side of it with a green jacket," he said.
"So I feel like when I play here, I'm prepared for everything that it's going to throw at me, because I feel like I've seen everything that it can throw at me.
"And that gives me a certain level of comfort going into the week as well."
Believing the competitor in him will help guard against complacency, he added: “When you tee off in the first major of the year, I think we're all competitors, and inherently, that's going to be there.”
