McIlroy Embarks on a New Chapter at The Masters: Will History Repeat Itself?

As Rory McIlroy prepares for The Masters, he finds himself in uncharted territory. Having experimented with various build-up scenarios in his 17 previous appearances at Augusta National, McIlroy finally discovered the winning formula to achieve his childhood dream of completing the career Grand Slam. The question on everyone's mind is whether McIlroy's historic win will be the culmination of his major motivation. However, he has embraced every aspect of his title defence, arriving earlier than ever to support multiple events and prepare for another push for major glory. "It's been a mix of business and pleasure," McIlroy said. "I've done a lot of work at home and made trips here to prepare and get familiar with the course again. It's been a different lead-in, but one I've enjoyed immensely. I'll try to keep enjoying my week, but I know I need to play good golf." McIlroy has come to realize that his Grand Slam win was not the ultimate destination. He now enters his title defence with a fresh outlook, aware of the opportunities ahead to create further history. A successful title defence would see him match Sir Nick Faldo's major tally and become the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. Faldo believes McIlroy must reset for his title defence, treating it as a new goal and project. McIlroy has been handed an early-late start alongside Cameron Young and Mason Howell, and despite struggling with injuries and a big break, he remains focused on his game. Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley thinks McIlroy is not as primed to win as he was last year, but Sky Sports' Butch Harmon sees him as relaxed and feeling good about his game. Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald expects McIlroy to be a strong contender, given his profile and how his game suits the course. With the Grand Slam burden behind him, McIlroy can now enjoy the tournament and the rest of his playing days. Wall-to-wall coverage of The Masters begins on Thursday, with Featured Group action and regular updates available on Sky Sports Golf.