Masters 2026: Can Rory McIlroy create more Augusta history by winning back-to-back Green Jackets
Capturing glory as a Masters champion is what every golfer wants, but that also comes with more interviews, more presentations and potentially more distractions.
Spaniard Jon Rahm finished 45th on his return from victory in 2023 and later admitted he was struggling to “adapt” to the demands of “so many things going on”.
“If you win the Masters, especially for Rory, it really is a dream come true. So you’re happy to be back there and I don’t think you’ll ever be distracted by additional commitments,” Brown said.
“Rory has done everything he wanted to do in his career but he always has more goals. Now he wants to defend it.
“As a professional athlete you are always striving for the next win. What can I improve on to take me to the next level?
“Golf is especially hard because one week you’re a champion, the next minute you’re a coward. You can’t take your foot off the gas.”
McIlroy’s form in the season opener offers little clue about his chances.
Three top-10 finishes in the opening four events of 2026 were a good sign; A back injury forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and left him “still not 100%” at the PGA Tour’s flagship Players Championship three weeks ago.
It has since been acknowledged that not playing competitively provided “a good opportunity to solve the problem” before Augusta, which was known to be physically draining.
Therefore, it appears that the most important factor in McIlroy’s hopes this week is his confidence in his tactical ability.
“Augusta has left me pretty indecisive at times over the years, especially in the approach game,” McIlroy said. he said.
“Becoming a better putter, working on my short game and getting better around the greens has probably allowed me to be more aggressive in my approach game.
“I think that’s a big part of why I ended up winning there, but it’s also why my game has gotten better and better over there over the years.”
McIlroy feels the Masters is where he could potentially finish his career with the most success.
Becoming a multiple champion and a rare back-to-back winner this week will be another golf mountain he has managed to climb.
