Could Rory McIlroy's 'secret weapon' be key for his first Masters win?

The Reckoning may already be affecting how McIlroy is approaching the 2025 Masters. The Northern Irishman explained how he's refusing to let his past failures at Augusta affect his approach to the tournament.

"Instinctually, as human beings, we hold back sometimes because of the fear of getting hurt," he said, "whether that's a conscious decision or subconscious decision. I think I was doing that on the golf course a little bit for a few years. But I think once you go through that, once you go through those heartbreaks, as I call them — or disappointments, you get to a place where you remember how it feels, and you wake up the next day and you're like, 'yeah, life goes on.' 

"It's not as bad as I thought it was gonna be, and I think it's going through those times, especially in recent memory where the last few years I've had chances to win some of the biggest golf tournaments in the world, and it hasn't quite happened, but life moves on. You dust yourself off and you go again. I think that's why I've become a little more comfortable and laying everything out there and being somewhat vulnerable at times."

McIlroy hasn't won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He is 0-for-38 in majors since then.

In 2024 at the Masters, McIlroy finished tied for 22nd. His best Masters finish came in 2022 when he finished second, behind Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy has seven top-10 finishes in the Masters.

McIlroy's inability to overcome the pressure and expectations at Augusta National has held him back from securing the career Grand Slam, but his mental state may finally be in the right place to secure the coveted green jacket. 

The Masters begins Thursday (live coverage on ESPN, 3-7:30 p.m. ET).