I Watched Rory McIlroy's Masters Practice Round And Here's Why It Could Be A Record-Breaking Week For The Career Grand Slam Winner

Throughout the history of The Masters, just three players have ever won back-to-back titles, with those being Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

In 2025, Rory McIlroy finally slipped on a Green Jacket, something that put him in the record books as just the sixth Career Grand Slam winner in history.

For 2026, he aims to join Nicklaus, Faldo and Woods as the fourth player to defend at Augusta National and, ahead of his defense, he certainly looks like he is going to be a factor once again...

That's if his practice round is anything to go by!

I understand practice rounds are completely different to competition. Players are relaxed, swinging freely and jovial as they prepare for the event, but something is different with McIlroy.

Coming into the tournament, it's the first time ever that he isn't a prospective Masters champion. In his 17 other appearances, he has had the tag on him and the pressure of needing to earn the Green Jacket to become part of golfing royalty.

Now, with a Career Grand Slam in-hand, he's free, which showed on Tuesday.

At the par 5 13th, for example, he hammered his tee shot into the center of the fairway, with his follow-up, a mid-iron, landing on the green and rolling to 10-foot. That Rory smile was present, as was the bounce as he walked.

That factor always shows where his game is. If McIlroy has that bop when he walks then watch out players... The 36-year-old is feeling it!

It wasn't just that hole either. Throughout the time I watched his practice round McIlroy hit the seventh fairway, a hole he's claimed to be uncomfortable with in the past, as well as almost holed his tee shot for an ace at the par 3 12th.

On the 11th, he also found the short grass with the driver, while his approach went in to the middle of the green. Even on the 10th, following a pulled tee shot, he managed to wind an iron low under the trees and on to the green, getting out of danger with no problem.

The putter was the star of the show on that hole, though, with the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter hotting up on the Augusta National greens.

Putting to various tees, which were marked up in the rough pin positions for all four days, McIlroy barely missed one, highlighted by a putt from the front-right to the back-left that struck the tee dead weight.

Certainly, it appears that McIlroy has unlocked the secret to playing Augusta National well, which he explained back in March.

Speaking to the media, McIlroy emphasized aggression and how he was rewarded for it during not just his final round a year ago, but the championship as a whole.

"When I made double at the first, I played pretty aggressively (after that)," he stated. "(I) hit driver to the front of the green (at the third) and made birdie.

"(I was) Aggressive with my 5-iron on four and made birdie. I went at the pin on nine and made birdie. The 10th I made birdie.

"I was being rewarded for being aggressive, then I obviously got the lead for the first time and my mindset, or my tactics, went a little bit defensive, like trying to protect the lead, that's when I got into trouble.

"Obviously what happened on 13 and on 14, and when I got to 15 again, I needed to be aggressive. I needed to make a birdie again, and I was able to do it."

Although he may not have teed it up in three weeks, I saw enough during his practice round to say that McIlroy will be in contention once again on Sunday afternoon.

"I feel comfortable on the golf course, feel comfortable with my game," stated the five-time Major winner during his press conference on Tuesday, who added "it's been a good three weeks at home getting ready physically and mentally.

"(I'm) just trying to prepare for everything that this week is going to sort of throw at me. I know that I can do it now, so that should make it a little easier for me to go out and play the golf I want to play."