In his first major after becoming Masters champion, Rory McIlroy stuttered to a tied 47th place at the US PGA Championship in May, rounding off a strange week at Quail Hollow, where he refused to speak to the media after it emerged his driver had failed a conforming test.
McIlroy was still agitated with reporters at the US Open in June. He was not at ease with his golf either.
His anger stemmed from a leaked report in June 2025 regarding a confidential, failed driver test, which he deemed a "weird" violation of privacy.
He was further angered by hostile crowds at the 2025 Ryder Cup, including backlash about his wife and hateful comments.
Already well out of contention at Oakmont, a final-day 67 salvaged a top-20 finish, and only then did McIlroy open up to a trusted group of familiar journalists.
"I climbed my Everest in April, and after you do something like that, you've got to make your way back down and look for another mountain to climb," he said.
Even though he was unable to get his hands on the Claret Jug in a seventh-place finish, an emotional Open homecoming at Portrush in July was a moment to savor.
McIlroy's form going into the season-opening major provides little indication about his chances.
Three top-10 finishes in his opening four events of 2026 bode well before a back injury forced his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and left him "still not 100%" at the PGA Tour's flagship Players Championship three weeks ago.
And so, following a nine-month break from the majors, it is back to Augusta for the last leg of a Masters victory lap which he now never wants to end.
"The nice thing now is, instead of people saying 'Come on, Rory, you can do it,' it's about 'back to back.' There's a real positive connotation," said McIlroy.
"It is so nice to walk around the property or be out on the golf course and not have that hanging over me. It's a big weight off my shoulders," added McIlroy.
"If you've won the Masters, especially for Rory, it really is a dream come true. So you're happy to go back there, and I don't think the additional commitments are ever a distraction," said one of the leading commentators, adding, "Rory has done everything he set out to do in his career, but there are always more goals.
