‘A big weight off my shoulders’ - Relaxed Rory McIlroy enchants the Augusta masses

Rory McIlroy looks on while playing the fourth hole during a practice round prior to the 2026 Masters Tournament. Pic: Hector Vivas/Getty Images

If Augusta commands appreciation, its champion is currently basking in it. On Tuesday, the entire club was beating to the rhythm of the Rory drum.

He was first out on the course for his practice round and blitzed through the front nine with the purpose of a man wanting to get his work banked early. Understandable, given it’s a busy day. Later that evening, it is his Champions Dinner with the other guardians of the green jacket. 

His menu generated considerable attention and some debate for its choices, but on the day he jokingly clarified his reasons for doing so.

“People keep asking me why didn't you go more Irish? And I said, because I want to enjoy the dinner as well.” 

The same stage, but the mood has transformed. Consider his Tuesday night in 2025. The touch of awkwardness at a fleeting exchange. His easy ability to laugh at himself in hindsight now.

“I tell this pretty funny story about last year myself and Justin Rose actually went for dinner at the club last year on the Tuesday night with a few of the Augusta National members, and the way -- it was weird, I was pulling up Magnolia Lane, and you get to the circle, and I'm like, well, do I go and park way over at the parking lot? Because I'm not going to park in the champions parking lot.

“Then at that specific moment, the champions were having their cocktails out on the balcony. I'm like I don't want to valet, get out, they're going to see me and it's going to be weird. So I had this really awkward moment with it all last year. Yeah, thankfully that was the last time that I needed to do that.” 

McIlroy played the full 18 on Tuesday morning, linking up with fellow Holywood man and tournament debutant Tom McKibbin for the closing holes. The highlight of the morning was his tremendous iron play at Amen Corner. 

He stitched his approach shot on the 11th within feet of the hole and did the same with his tee shot on the par-3 12th.

Georgia’s famed Southern hospitality is constantly evident this week, yet the whistles and applause that greeted that effort were beyond routine. 

It was clear from the conversations among the patrons, from the five-deep crowd that followed him and from the stampede that flowed from the media building to the interview room when he arrived for his press conference, that this was house Rory.

Not that it was all perfect. McIlroy is beyond that sort of simplicity. Twice after those exquisite iron shots, he left the birdie putt short. Granted, he did the same after that towering effort through the narrow gap in the trees on the seventh during his Sunday final round last year. 

The essence of that moment wasn’t the missed birdie putt or that 153-yard wonder in defiance of his caddie’s pleas to pitch up; it was his entire frame bent over in laughter and finally enjoying it. Now relishing it.

Every time you see McIlroy up close, it reveals that endearing candour. He wears it all openly. A good tee shot is apparent from the grimace on his face and that familiar tick where he mimics the ball flight with his hand. He should trademark that bouncing walk down the fairway.

In the press conference later, the levity continued. Each hole on this course is named after a flower or plant, and he was asked how many he could name (not all 18, he reckons). He started with the iconic Azalea and reeled off the run from 10–13 before turning to more serious topics.

McIlroy’s ability to manage both is part of that easy charm. One minute he is cataloguing shrubbery, the next he is psychoanalysing his enduring relationship with caddie Harry Diamond.

“As an only child, he was like the big brother I never had, and I think that's what makes it so special. Harry's got a little brother and a big sister, so he had that, but I always felt like Harry was my big brother. I think that's why, when I talk about it, it's why it makes me emotional.” 

The ongoing celebration that has followed him over the past 12 months continued with a new Amazon Prime documentary, directed by Emmy award winner Drea Cooper, that was released last month. 

A polished production was elevated by the contributions of his proud parents, Rosie and Gerry.

“My mom and dad have always been very reluctant to say anything or go on camera, but I thought that the documentary wouldn't be the same if… because we did go back a little bit into the childhood and into the upbringing, it wouldn't have felt complete if we didn't hear from them.

“Again, knowing how they feel about it all, I would have been absolutely fine if they didn't want to do it, but they were willing to participate. I thought they did an amazing job.

“I think in terms of what they instilled in me, I think work ethic is something that, my mom worked night shifts. My dad worked multiple jobs. I think most people in this room know that. That was normal for me. That was normal as an upbringing. I never spent a lot of time with my parents together. It was either with my dad or with my mom because always the other one was working.

“Because they knew their son had a dream to play golf, and golf is a less expensive sport to play in Ireland, but it's still a pretty expensive game to have to drive your son to different golf clubs and play in tournaments and golf equipment and everything else. So they sacrificed a lot.” 

At his victorious press conference 12 months ago, McIlroy asked a question of the room: “What are we all going to talk about next year?” 

A wry nod to the endless speculation around his long wait.

So, what does he think the story is now?

“Flowers,” he smiled, to raucous laughter.

“I think the story as it relates to me is what do I do from now onwards? What motivates me? What gets me going? What do I still want to achieve in the game?” 

In case it wasn’t blindingly obvious, this is a man entirely at ease. Does that mean he is likely to soar or stumble on Thursday? Hard to say. The only certainty is that it’s different. He is different.

I think the nice thing now is instead of it being, ‘Come on, Rory, you know you can do this’, it’s, ‘back to back?’. There’s a real positive connotation to it instead of, ‘Jeez Rory, we’ve been waiting a while. When are you going to get this done?'

"It's just very different, and maybe that's just my perception of it.

“But it is so nice to walk around property or be out on the golf course and just not have that hanging over me. It feels that it is a big weight off my shoulders.”