Rory McIlroy has credited a conversation with Phil Mickelson roughly 15 years ago for transforming his approach to Augusta National and helping him finally win The Masters. The world No 2 completed the career Grand Slam by beating Justin Rose in a play-off last April, becoming the first European to achieve this feat and ending an 11-year wait for his fifth major championship. McIlroy revealed Mickelson told him during a practice round, 'I feel I can be so aggressive here', a perspective McIlroy initially rejected, feeling tentative on the iconic course.

He later attributed his improved play at Augusta to becoming a better putter and working on his short game, allowing him to be more aggressive with approach shots. McIlroy described the morning after his victory as 'unparalleled' and 'pinch-me', feeling incredibly grateful. He had been hampered by a back injury ahead of The Players Championship but gave a positive update on his current fitness, planning further work before returning to Augusta.