Against his golf nature, McIlroy sorts out Masters secret

Rory McIlroy says experience has taught him that he must play against his golfing nature to have his best chance at winning the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam.

The four-time major champion from Northern Ireland seeks his first major title since 2014 this week at Augusta National in his 14th Masters start.

Experience has taught McIlroy to value discipline and patience on the famed course in a different manner than he usually would.

"It feels like playing very negatively, playing away from trouble, not firing at flagsticks, not being aggressive," McIlroy said Tuesday.

"It feels like a negative game plan, but it's not. It's just a smart game plan. It's playing the percentages.

"Sunday, if you need to take risks, you take risks, but for the first 54 holes, you just have to stay as disciplined as possible.

"That goes against my nature a little bit, so it's something I have to really work hard on."

McIlroy said the mental challenge posed by the Masters puts the pressure on the shotmaking, pointing to Dustin Johnson's 2020 victory as an example of the shots Augusta National makes you play.

"He basically did everything that this golf course asks of you," said McIlroy. "That's what this place is all about. It's as much of a chess game as anything else, and it's just about putting yourself in the right positions and being disciplined and being patient and knowing that pars are good.

"Even if you make a couple of pars on the par-5s, that's OK and you just keep moving forward."

For all of the spectacular shots the Masters has produced, McIlroy says winning comes from making routine ones well before the great ones.

"I think that's what wins you Masters," McIlroy said. "You see the highlights of people hitting heroic golf shots around