The guilty genius: 10 fascinating new Rory McIlroy insights

In the new Golf Digest cover story, Rory McIlroy talked strengths and vices, his new swing, life after the breakup and much more.

The cover of the April issue certainly made a splash - McIlroy as Michaelangelo’s Statue of David, topless save a green kilt.

Attention grabbed, Rory’s thoughtful sit-down in Manhattan with renowned golf writer Jaime Diaz provided plenty of insight.

Here are 10 choice cuts:

McIlroy on how the breakup with Caroline Wozniacki sparked last year’s renaissance:

“After [the breakup], I thought, What else do I have in my life? I have family and friends, but they're always going to be there. What else? That's when I decided, You know what, I'm just going to immerse myself in golf for a while. I spent more time at it, thought about it more, spent more time at the range and at the gym. Because that's all I had, and that's all I wanted to do."

McIlroy on his fresh determination to do whatever it takes to succeed:

"I've come across enough successful people now to know that the best in whatever walk of life, they're the ones who just work the hardest. I realized that if I want to be the best and fulfill my potential, I'm going to have to do the same thing. And for those who are lucky enough to be born with a gift and then choose to work the hardest—I mean, that's the combination."

McIlroy on his revamped swing:

“My swing has lost its whippy sort of action that came from a lot of arm and hand speed. Now it's more the big muscles controlling rotation, and that's the energy that's going into the ball."

McIlroy on his biggest worries ahead of the Masters:

"A firm and fast Augusta, or a typical U.S. Open setup, is probably the most difficult test for me. It requires so much discipline and precision, and that's something I'm still learning. I won a U.S. Open, but it was much wetter than normal, and even Hoylake was soft for a links. So if Augusta is fiery, winning there would get me closer to being a complete player, because I don't think I'm there yet."

McIlroy on his vices:

A sip of Coca Cola. “My treat."

McIlroy on how he’s not one of those guys who has to win at everything:

"I've no real ambition to be the best at anything else. If we're playing a game of cards, or a game of pool, or whatever it is, I'd happily let someone win just to keep them happy."

McIlroy on Tiger Woods’s helpful side:

"He's great with me," McIlroy says. "He's very... actually, he wants to help. He's like, 'I know you're getting into the same sort of position as me, so anything you need to know, we've been through it all.' "

McIlroy on being nice, but not too nice:

"It's a natural tendency for me to be too nice. To be a little too giving to be able to focus on what you need to do, and sometimes I have to cut that back."

McIlroy on bulking up:

“I'd like to put on another 10 or 12 pounds. That will happen over time. It would be functional. The more mass you have in the body, the more mass you can transfer into the golf ball. It's simple physics. If I was going to put any muscle on, it would be in my lower half anyway. I wouldn't want to get any bigger on top."

McIlroy on overcoming a certain guilt about his talent:

"Until just a few years ago, I don't want to say I felt guilty for being successful because I had this ability given to me, but it was sort of like, 'Why me?'

Because I felt like it's a very selfish thing to be a winner, a very selfish trait. Which is what you sort of need in golf. And I guess it just took me a while to be comfortable with that, just because of the personality I have. I realized that if I want to succeed in golf, which I do, I need to have it. What helped was realizing how much people like winners, how people gravitate to them. So if other people are happy for me winning, then why can I not be?"

Read the whole interview here