MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2026

Rory McIlroy

Quick Quotes

Q. Rory, how refreshing, how much does this take it off the task at hand tomorrow?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it does. I mean, it's a great way to, I guess, end our preparations, and it's such a fun afternoon. I always tried to play it, but it was -- I felt like I could miss it whenever I didn't have a child. But like nowadays you just can't miss it.

All the kids, it's one of their favorite days of the year, and everyone was so invested to see if Frankie could get it over the water. But, yeah, it was fun, especially being out there with Shane and Tommy. It was a great afternoon.

Q. I talked to some players that were in the room for the champions dinner and they were so happy that you were there. It was a big moment in your life and career. What are you going to reflect on from that dinner last night?

RORY McILROY: Just, honestly, how lucky I am that I get to be a part of that group. It's not lost on me. I said it in the room last night, but all of us in that room were the envy of the sports world last night. Everyone else would love to be in that room, and I certainly don't ever want to take it for granted.

I tried to treat it as if it was the only time I would host a dinner. Hopefully it's not. But if it is, I tried to do it the right way, and I just hope everyone had a great night.

Q. You start your preparations this weekend. You've actually made several trips here, I know. But it starts again tomorrow. What do you want to be focused on on that first tee?

RORY McILROY: Just executing my game plan, being free in my swing and in my thoughts. It's going to be a tough test this week. The wind is going to be up tomorrow. The greens are going to get firm. It's certainly not going to be a birdiefest. It's going to require patience. It's going to require more of a mental grind maybe.

This place is always that way, but I think even more so going to get wind swirling. You're going to be indecisive. So the more I can be decisive and be trusting in what I'm doing, that's what I'm going to need to do.

Q. It's business tomorrow, but the days this week leading up to that first round, how would you describe them?

RORY McILROY: You know, it's been a little bit of a mix of business and pleasure, I would say. I've prepared. I tried to do a lot of my work in the weeks leading up here in terms of the work I did at home, the trips that I made up here to prepare and get familiar with the course again.

And the few days this week, playing with my dad on Sunday, you know, the Champions Dinner last night, it's been a very different, I guess, lead-in to this tournament for me, but one I've enjoyed immensely. And I'm just going to try to keep enjoying my week, but I know to do that I just have to go out there and play good golf, and that's what I'm focused on.

Q. Are you putting anything new in your big for this week?

RORY McILROY: No.