Rory McIlroy finally got his crowning moment last year when he lifted the Masters trophy at the 17th attempt, but almost 12 months on, he has revealed how Phil Mickelson may have had a part to play
Tom Malley U.S. Sports Reporter
15:54 ET, 18 Mar 2026Updated 10:05 ET, 19 Mar 2026
Rory McIlroy has revealed how finally breaking through at the Masters traces back in small part to Phil Mickelson(Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy said that adopting a more “aggressive” style of play is what ultimately led him to finally claim his first victory at Augusta, something Phil Mickelson told him to do almost 15 years ago.
The Northern Irishman finally got his crowning moment last year when he lifted the Masters trophy at the 17th attempt, allowing him to finally add to his majors collection after almost 11 years and complete the career Grand Slam.
It proved to be the defining moment of McIlroy‘s year, but one that also spurred him on to win the Irish Open, help Team Europe retain the Ryder Cup trophy, and claim his seventh Race to Dubai title, all contributing to a remarkable 12 months for the 36-year-old. It comes as Mickelson faces a harsh reality check ahead of his return to LIV Golf.
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Now, following a far less dominant start to his year than in 2025, having failed to win any of the five tournaments he’s played in, McIlroy is gearing up for his first competitive return to Augusta since claiming the Masters title almost 12 months ago.
While there are still three weeks until the first major of the year returns, McIlroy’s full focus has already turned to the prestigious tournament, helped by the fact he currently has nothing else on his schedule until the weekend of April 9-12.
Furthermore, the current world number two has been back at the site of his famous victory this week to announce the Champions Dinner menu, as is tradition for the defending Masters champion.
McIlroy reigned victorious at last year’s Masters(Image: Getty Images)
Whilst there, however, McIlroy reflected on last year’s success and what he learnt from finally winning the tournament, and surprised many by revealing that Mickelson is part of the reason behind his win, having convinced him to adopt a certain method to his game.
“I played a practice round with Phil Mickelson, maybe, I don’t know, 10 or 15 years ago, probably closer to 15 years ago, and I always remember he said to me, ‘Rory, one of the reasons I love Augusta National is because I feel I can be so aggressive here,'” McIlroy told reporters Wednesday.
“I remember thinking, ‘What does he mean?’ I feel the opposite. I feel I can’t be aggressive here because there’s so many bad places to miss.
“But Phil had so much — still has, probably, so much faith in his short game that if he does miss an approach shot by being aggressive, he still feels he can get that ball up-and-down.
“I think, I would say by becoming a better putter and by maybe working on my short game a little bit and becoming better around the greens, that probably allowed me to become more aggressive with my approach play at Augusta.
“I think that’s been a big part of the reason why I’ve — well, now that I’ve eventually won there, but why my play has gotten better there over the years.”
McIlroy’s comments come just days after he offered a disappointing title defense at The Players Championship with a T46 finish, shooting 71 in the final round to finish even par and mark his worst result since missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open last June.
His performance has led Paul McGinley to believe he’ll need to make big changes ahead of the Masters, with his fellow Irishman encouraging him to “reset” ahead of defending his crown at the iconic tournament.