McIlroy gears up for one of golf’s toughest feats

Rory McIlroy ended a 10-year Major win drought with an emotional 2025 Masters victory that also completed an incredible career grand slam. Now the 36-year-old Northern Irishman chases an even rarer feat this year – defending his title at Augusta National.

He hopes to join Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only golfers to capture back-to-back green jackets when the 90th Masters tees off this Thursday.

"I know defending the Masters tournament is a pretty rare feat, and it's something I'd love to do," the five-time Major winner said.

"I've won it once and I feel like that will make it a bit easier for me to win again."

McIlroy joined a career grand slam group that also includes Nicklaus, Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

The night after he finally won the green jacket last April, McIlroy climbed the 13 spiral stairs to the second floor of the clubhouse and walked through a door that says, "Masters Club Room. Private."

Champions only.

He couldn't wait to see the most exclusive locker room in golf that only had 27 lockers. Missing that April night was his nameplate, and so his return in December to work on a Prime Video documentary made him eager to find out whose names would be on his locker.

Ben Hogan 1953. Raymond Floyd 1976. Rory McIlroy 2025.

"I was wondering who they were going to put me with," McIlroy told AP. "Were they going to put me with another European? I didn't really know. But having Hogan's locker? That's pretty cool, another guy who did the (Grand) Slam. And then Raymond, who I've known for a long time and has been a good friend to me in golf over the years.

"Incredible," he said. "It never gets old."

Twenty-six of the lockers were empty when McIlroy returned in December – green jackets are kept in a separate room. His contained a surprise.

"There was a note in there from Jack," McIlroy said. "He'd been there one or two weeks previous and it just said, 'Welcome to the club.'

"It's a wonderful perk."

Oddsmakers have made top-ranked Scottie Scheffler a slight favorite over world number two McIlroy, even though the defending champion said he has recovered from a back injury that forced him to withdraw last month at Bay Hill.

"My expectations all are based around what I want mentally," Scheffler said. "So far throughout this season I've been really good in some spots and some other spots I feel like I can improve in terms of my commitment to the shot."

Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, will not attend after pleading not guilty to DUI charges stemming from a March 27 car crash.

"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in," Woods said. "I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health."