Rory McIlroy has dismissed suggestions that his historic Masters victory last year marks the peak of his career, insisting he still has plenty left to achieve in golf. The Northern Irishman returns to Augusta National for the 90th Masters staging as defending champion, having completed the career grand slam and ended an 11-year wait for a fifth major title in extraordinary circumstances last April.
McIlroy, now 36, says he feels physically better than he did at 25 and is motivated to add to his major tally. “I still want to achieve things, I still want to win things. This isn’t the end,” he said. “If I can produce the golf shots that I needed to produce down the last few holes at Augusta, feeling the way I was feeling then, I am pretty capable of doing anything in this game.”
The world number two is now targeting Nick Faldo’s European record of six major titles and has his sights set on becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to defend the Green Jacket. A dinner with Roger Federer in Dubai in January helped him focus on setting new goals after the lull that followed his Augusta triumph.
McIlroy admits that regular tour events now feel less significant compared to majors, but insists his intensity for the biggest tournaments remains undimmed. “The majors will still all feel the same to me. There will always be the intensity there,” he said. “Maybe not the pressure but I will still have the intensity and work the same way towards them.”
Despite his success, McIlroy has no intention of playing into his 50s like Tiger Woods, but he hopes to remain competitive into his mid-40s, citing Justin Rose as an example. “You look at what Justin Rose has done. He is still competitive at 45 and I would like to think if I do the right things, pace myself and play the schedule that suits, that I can get to that point as well,” he said.
