Rory McIlroy Eyes Further Success After Career Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy is looking to build on his Grand Slam success as he prepares to defend his title at The Masters. McIlroy ended an 11-year wait for his fifth major title with a dramatic victory at Augusta National last year, becoming the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam. Now, he has the opportunity to become the fourth player to win back-to-back editions of The Masters. McIlroy has stated that he is more relaxed heading into this year's tournament, having achieved his 'dream come true' last year. He joked that he is now wondering what people will talk about next year, having previously described his Grand Slam win as 'my Everest'. Despite his recent success, McIlroy remains motivated to achieve more in golf. When asked about his narrative heading into the title defence, McIlroy said: '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?' McIlroy has realised that every time he achieves something, the goalposts move, and he is now focused on finding enjoyment in the journey. He described the past 12 months as 'amazing' and has tried to 'embrace and enjoy every part of life' as a Masters champion. McIlroy feels different to how he did heading into past editions of the tournament, stating that he is 'so much more relaxed' and that it's 'completely different' this year. He added that he is 'coming back here for a lot of years' and will 'enjoy the perks that the champions get here'. McIlroy equalled the largest first-round deficit to win The Masters last year and has credited his patience for the victory. He explained that he 'didn't overreact' when he made mistakes and instead stayed patient, which was rewarded with a 14-hole stretch in 10-under. McIlroy believes that The Masters presents one of the best chances for him to add to his major tally, citing the predictability of the course and the importance of experience. He suggested that he has 'another, hopefully, 10 good shots of winning this' and that the more experience he has around the golf course, the better it is.