AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) 鈥� In his 17th appearance in the Masters, Rory McIlroy and reached what he figured would be the pinnacle of his golf career. He has the . He has an invitation to play in the for as long as he wants.
The 18th trip might be even better.
This must feel like a victory lap for McIlroy, who has been at Augusta National all weekend with an eye on hosting the Masters Club dinner on Tuesday night. And then he can move on to that small matter of trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back at the Masters.
What’s the rush?
鈥淚 think for the past 17 years I just could not wait for the tournament to start,鈥� McIlroy said Tuesday. 鈥淎nd this year, I wouldn’t care if the tournament never started.鈥�
That brought laughter, including his own. He met with the media at Augusta National 鈥� a preview of his Prime Video documentary was played before he walked in 鈥� for the first time since he won last year and began his news conference by asking, 鈥淲hat are we going to talk about next year?鈥�
He said the goal posts have moved, but he’s still kicking.
鈥淚t’s completely different,鈥� McIlroy said. 鈥淚 feel so much more relaxed. I know that I鈥檓 going to be coming back here for a lot of years, going to enjoy the perks that the champions get here. It doesn鈥檛 make me any less motivated to go out there and play well and try to win the tournament.鈥�
He doesn’t expect it to be any easier than a wild Sunday afternoon, 18 holes that in some respects resembled his 18 years on tour.
That’s true for everyone in the . There was a chill in the air Tuesday morning that now gives way to a forecast for hot, dry weather. That can be Augusta National at its toughest, no matter how pretty it looks with the azalea and dogwood blooms.
鈥淚f it’s firm and fast, the greens are going to be even more difficult to hit than they already are,鈥� Bryson DeChambeau said.
Scottie Scheffler knows the drill as defending champion, having won in 2022 and 2024. Scheffler prefers a routine 鈥� disrupted slightly now with a newborn son in tow.
鈥淒efending can always be difficult, but I think that鈥檚 mostly just the odds of winning a tournament in back-to-back years,鈥� Scheffler said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 just extremely challenging, especially when you look at these major championships.鈥�
Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) are the only players to win in consecutive years at the Masters.
鈥淚 think everything’s new when you鈥檙e a first-time defending (champion) here,鈥� Scheffler said. 鈥淵ou host the dinner 鈥� that’s a big deal. There鈥檚 certain things that go on that maybe would make it a touch more difficult, but I wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 anything too substantial.鈥�
For McIlroy, it’s everything so new that’s making this so enjoyable.
He never bothered to spend much time upstairs in the clubhouse during the Masters, where a room is dedicated to the co-founders and to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a proud member at Augusta National. McIlroy loves golf history.
鈥淚 knew the week of the tournament that the clubhouse is for participants and their families, but I still felt like I had to earn the right to be there a little more often,鈥� he said.
McIlroy recalled one potentially awkward moment last year when he and Justin Rose, whom he would beat in a playoff, were going to have dinner in the clubhouse on Tuesday night. He drove down Magnolia Lane toward the clubhouse right as the past champions were on the balcony for cocktail hour before their dinner.
鈥淚’m like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to valet, get out, they鈥檙e going to see me and it鈥檚 going to be weird.鈥� So I had this really awkward moment with it all last year,鈥� McIlroy said. 鈥淵eah, thankfully that was the last time that I needed to do that.鈥�
He has prepared remarks for a dinner of past champions, and , particularly the wine. One of the side dishes is 鈥淚rish Champ,” creamy mashed potatoes with green onions, butter and milk.
鈥淧eople keep asking me, 鈥榃hy didn鈥檛 you go more Irish?’ And I said, 鈥楤ecause I want to enjoy the dinner as well,鈥欌�� McIlroy said.
More laughter. There was a lot of that Tuesday, different from past years when he heard the same questions 鈥� When are you going to win the Masters? 鈥� and didn’t have great answers. Now he has the ultimate response: He wore his green jacket to his news conference.
What’s next?
McIlroy has said he wants to win as many majors as possible 鈥� Harry Vardon with seven has the most of any European player; McIlroy has five 鈥� and at prestigious venues, such as St. Andrews next year for the British Open.
鈥淭here’s still a lot that I want to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think what I鈥檝e realized is if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that鈥檚 the big thing. Because honestly, I felt like the career Grand Slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realized it wasn鈥檛 the destination.鈥�
___
AP golf:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
