Rory McIlroy is going to be one of the heavy favourites to win The Masters this year, following an unprecedented amount of success on the PGA Tour at the start of 2025.
If it was any other player, you would say that wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship would be enough to make someone the leading candidate to go to Augusta National and triumph.
However, golf fans know better than to get carried away with Rory McIlroy‘s form ahead of the major championships. Unfortunately, the Northern Irishman has collected a number of scars since his most recent major win back in 2014.
And of course, McIlroy has been a Masters win away from completing the career grand slam for well over a decade now.
Phil Mickelson suggests whether Rory McIlroy could win The Masters this year
The 35-year-old did finish second in 2022. However, he has never quite been able to really put himself in the mix coming down the stretch on Sunday.
But McIlroy had never won twice on the PGA Tour before April until this season. Meanwhile, McIlroy has spoken of adding shots to his game for Augusta. However, it remains to be seen if he can put it all together and handle the pressure.
Phil Mickelson knows better than most what McIlroy is dealing with. It is remarkable to think now that he had not won a major until 2004. But he overcame those doubts to subsequently win six majors, including three green jackets.
And ahead of LIV Golf Miami, Mickelson outlined the burden McIlroy is likely to be feeling ahead of his latest trip to Augusta.
“Yeah, that’s challenging. But he’s done it so many times in his ability to win tournaments. He’s been able to compartmentalize that. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue for him,” he said.
“I think he drives the ball so long and straight that he has a huge advantage on that golf course. He and about 20 guys that drive it like he does will have an advantage of playing it a certain way. They can play it a certain way that is much more aggressive and take advantage of holes than some others, than guys like myself. But you still have to execute, you still have to hit the shots, and I think that’s what he’s focused on.
“I think his ability to compartmentalize all the things that have transpired in the past is a strength of his, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue or I don’t think that’s what’s holding him back from winning the Masters.”
When Rory McIlroy played one of the best rounds Phil Mickelson had seen
Of course, Mickelson and McIlroy have been on either side of golf’s divide in recent years. But Lefty once had a front row seat for one of the most important days in McIlroy’s career.
McIlroy’s first PGA Tour win came at the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, with Mickelson finishing second, four shots back.
It was a moment which confirmed McIlroy’s place in the big time. And speaking after the final round, Mickelson outlined how impressed he had been by McIlroy’s performance.
“He’s won a number of places throughout the world, and for him to win here on the PGA Tour just sets it off. He’s got all the shots, he’s got the game of a veteran, and he’s a class act. He’s fun to be around. You can’t help but pull for him,” he said.
“62 is one of the best rounds I’ve seen in a long, long time. It was very impressive. He’s an impressive player. He’s also a wonderful person, so I’m happy for him.”
The comments highlight how McIlroy unquestionably has the ability to win The Masters. Many feel McIlroy is the most talented player of this generation.
But he is still searching for that missing ingredient. So many would love nothing more than to see him find it later this month.
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