Rory McIlroy has tried every tactic possible to prepare for the Masters.
He has played a lot in the lead-up to the year’s first major and played as little as possible. He has focused all his energy on preparing for Augusta National and attempted to act like it was no different than any other tournament.
None of it has worked, as McIlroy is still searching for a green jacket that would allow him to complete the career grand slam. McIlroy has carded seven top-10 finishes at Augusta National since 2015 but has rarely found himself in true contention on the weekend.
So, what’s the four-time major champion’s plan of attack as the 2025 Masters approaches?
“I’m still making a bit of a decision,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, when asked how much he will play over the next month. “I’m going to play these next two weeks [API and The Players]. I’ll see how these next two weeks go, then I’ll sort of reassess. I don’t like the idea of having three weeks off going into the Masters, so I may add one event, but I’m still between what event that may be. But it really just depends on how these two weeks go and how I’m feeling about my game. But I would imagine I would add an event leading into there, it just depends on whether it’s Houston or San Antonio.”
Last year, McIlroy played the API and The Players before taking two weeks off. He played the Valero Texas Open the week prior to the Masters, finishing in third place in San Antonio before carding a T22 finish at Augusta National.
McIlroy has now made 16 career starts at the Masters. He knows the hallowed grounds well but knows he can always learn something that might unlock the key to ending his major championship drought that is entering its 11th year.
“No, it helps. I think it does help,” McIlroy said of scouting trips to Augusta. “Because you can spend as much time as you want around there. Like on those days that you go up outside of the tournament, you’re not under any pressure from a time constraint, like having to get to media or having any other obligations.
“It’s funny. When you want to spend six hours on a practice round, it doesn’t feel like it’s that bad, but the week off, you don’t really want to be out there for six hours, and it feels a little different. So, I think being able to take your time away from the tournament and doing it is a nice thing.”
McIlroy opened his PGA Tour season with a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and followed it up with a tie for 17th at the Genesis Invitational.
As he walked up the final hole at Pebble, McIlroy turned to caddie Harry Diamond and uttered a phrase he hopes carves a path to his first major title in a decade.
“Start as you mean to go on,” McIlroy said as he waltzed to his 27th career PGA Tour title.
We’ll find out in 32 days if McIlroy’s plan, whatever it ends up being, delivers different results or sees him leave Augusta National still looking for that elusive fifth major.
