Rory McIlroy jumped to the top of the leaderboard on the first day of the Masters, but the strong first round came with some familiar mental struggles.
McIlroy is seeking to defend last year’s win at the Masters, which he achieved after a thrilling sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose. He topped the leaderboard on Thursday with -5 under 67, battling through some anxiety as he started the round.
Rory McIlroy Opens Up About Anxiety on the Course
McIlroy said his right hand was shaking as he prepared to tee off his opening round at Augusta National, ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti reported on Thursday.
“I was anxious just like I always am. I’m thankful that I felt the same. … I think it would be worrisome if I didn’t feel that way because it definitely still means something to me,” McIlroy said. “That’s a good thing. That’s why we want to be here. We want to be able to try to play our best golf when we’re feeling like that.”
McIlroy was able to lead the field despite having some struggles, but said he had faith that things would turn around as he made his way through the first round. He hit his stride midway through the round, saying he did better as he trusted his swing.
“I didn’t hit the ball very well the first seven holes, and sometimes here that would lead me to get tentative and a little guide-y,” McIlroy said. “I kept swinging, just trusting that I’m going to find it eventually. So maybe that was a little bit different.”
Rory McIlroy Feels Easier After Masters Win
McIlroy said his opening round at the Masters felt a bit different this year. He finally broke through for a win in last year’s tournament, which has lessened the pressure he feels this year.
“There’s still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes,” McIlroy said. “But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.”
Not all have performed so well under pressure at Augusta. As ESPN noted, McIlroy is just the seventh reigning Masters champion to take an opening-round lead in the next year.
That’s still no guarantee of success. Of the six who held an opening-round lead a year after a Masters win, only one golfer went on to win — Jack Nicklaus in 1966. No player has won back-to-back Masters since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
McIlroy is confident he can beat the odds, saying he’s looser and no longer snakebitten when it comes to playing at Augusta.
“I said this when I came in on Tuesday,” McIlroy. “I think winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one, I do.”
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