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Golf

'I've always tried to stay away from psychologists' - Rory McIlroy

Listen to the full interview via the podcast In the post-war era, only Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Wood...



'I've always tried to...
Golf

'I've always tried to stay away from psychologists' - Rory McIlroy

Listen to the full interview via the podcast

In the post-war era, only Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gary Player have managed to do it.

And should he win the Masters at Augusta before the end of his career, Rory McIlroy will join that illustrious bunch who have won all four of golf's Majors.

The first opportunity comes next year and should he achieve the career Grand Slam before the tender age of 26, it will put him in truly illustrious company and also write him definitively into the pantheon of the greats.

It is a prospect that does not seem to weigh heavily on him as McIlroy revealed when he spoke to Off The Ball today in the wake of his composed triumph at Hoylake.

"I'm excited to go to Augusta next year to try and complete this career Grand Slam. It's a great position to be in. There's going to be a lot of hype, there's going to be a lot of focus on me. But it's a position I'm comfortable in and I can't wait for it. I feel my game at Augusta has got better every year," who added that he did not think about the prospect of his achievement until the bunker shot on the 18th hole on Sunday.

Speaking of 18, McIlroy added that he had not thought about Jack Nicklaus' landmark Major record, saying that "it's never been a target of mine."

The Holywood golfer's struggles for form have also been well documented over the past 18 months and he feels the latest victory makes it all "worthwhile".

"Definitely a lot has been learned in that time and I feel like I'm a stronger and better person because of it," he said, going on to talk about honing the mental side of his game.

"There's little exercises you can do. I've always tried to stay away from psychologists because I feel that if something works for you, then that's what you need to go with. It's very individual, it's your own mind, it's your own thoughts. It's hard for someone to tell you what to think."    

As well as discussing the need to avoid distractions, the 25-year-old also spoke about the process of making better decisions on the golf course and the issues he has had on Friday's at events.

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