Rory McIlroy wanted to bring some normalcy to his Masters preparation. The pressure has only piled up in the last decade. It’s a ten-year major drought for the 34-year-old. It’s also a ten-year wait to complete the career grand slam after Tiger Woods, who believes that the Northern Irishman is “too talented” to fail at that. And of course, McIlroy, too, desperately wants that to happen.

He arrived just half an hour before the press conference. Make no mistake. This was not a flight delay. This was not a silly mistake, like the 2012 Ryder Cup. McIlroy took just a handful of questions before signing off hastily, even before the conference had ended! The curiously short press conference says a lot more about his ‘state of mind’ than his answers reveal.

Dissecting McIlroy’s Masters gameplan 

McIlroy asserted he didn’t want to give special treatment to Augusta National. Yet, his preparation gives away the weight added to the Masters. The Northern Irish pro didn’t want to reach Augusta until late Tuesday. He has skipped the par-3 championship this year. His iron game has been bothering him. Which prompted him to seek Butch Harmon’s advice as well. 

“This is my 16th start in the Masters, so I feel like I’ve done it quite a few different ways, and I guess just trying to bring a little bit of normalcy into what I sort of try to do week in, week out. I play 25 weeks a year, and there’s no point in doing anything different this week compared to other weeks.”

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Yet it’s preposterous to think that a course where McIlroy has played 15 times before—nine times since his last major triumph—will intimidate him. Augusta National doesn’t. But McIlroy admits it’s a tempting course. “I’ve said this: This golf course gets you to chase things a little more than other golf courses.” That’s what he is trying to control.

The key is to keep patience throughout the 72 holes. 13 years ago, McIlroy slipped up on his overnight lead on Sunday, eventually finishing in T15. “With a 72-hole golf tournament, you can be patient, you can be disciplined, and you can stick to your game plan. And that’s something that I’ve really tried to learn at this tournament over the years,” the 24-time PGA Tour winner said during the press conference.

But McIlroy has reasons to be hopeful. Augusta National favors those who have previous experience on the course. And McIlroy has plenty. A T2 two years ago should bolster his hope. But more than that, it’s his exuding confidence after a session with Harmon that raises his hopes. 

What makes Rory McIlroy hopeful about his chances?

McIlroy revealed that the four-hour session with Harmon in Vegas was more about improving his mental game. Swing was a part of it. But what the veteran instructor injected was a lot of confidence in his game. 

“Yeah, he is; he’s part sort of psychologist, part swing coach.” Like I always joke about, you spend four hours with Butch, and you go away with two swing tips and 30 stories. But you always go away hitting the ball better than when you came.”

At Augusta, eventual champions are always dominant when reaching the greens. While no one currently does it better than Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy has improved his approach play. In the Valero Texas Open, the four-time major winner finished third in SG: Approach to Green. Furthermore, he reached the greens 48 times at TPC San Antonio. On the Tour, Rory McIlroy is 4th in SG: Off the Tee as well. 

While Ultserman is on the cusp of 35, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods have done it at a later stage in their careers in more recent times. So McIlroy has reason to hope his major drought might come to an end this April.

Read More: Can Rory McIlroy End His Masters Curse? Pro Golfers, Including Tiger Woods, Give Their Verdict