Is 'free' McIlroy ready to create more Masters history?
There are numerous perks which come with winning the Masters. Rory McIlroy is well aware of each and every benefit provided by Augusta National. The biggest one for McIlroy is less tangible than the Green Jacket in the wardrobe, the sterling silver replica trophy on the mantelpiece, or the reserved spot in the car park.
Finally landing the Masters last year, becoming only the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam, provides an intrinsic value which the 36-year-old from Northern Ireland has long been searching for. Freedom. The freedom to play uninhibited at the sport's most iconic tournament, no longer weighed down by hope, expectation and history.
While he is light on form coming into his Augusta return, McIlroy's mind is uncluttered. No longer will clean ball-striking be impaired by nebulous thinking. That, he hopes, can secure entry into another exclusive club - those who have won back-to-back Masters.
"I feel comfortable on the golf course, I feel comfortable with my game," a relaxed McIlroy said in his pre-tournament news conference on Tuesday. "It's been a good three weeks at home getting ready physically and mentally, and preparing for everything this week is going to throw at me. "I know I can do it now so that should make it easier for me to go out and play the game I want to play.
" Liberating himself from pursuing the one prize which he really wanted - needed, perhaps - was something McIlroy recognised in the immediate aftermath of his crowning golfing glory when he said he felt "freed up". The theory was he would no longer be tied down by the burden of his own expectation and quickly produce more major victories now his 11-year fallow period had finally ended. Masters tee-times for rounds one and two announced McIlroy confidently claimed four majors between 2011 and 2014, marking him out as a generational talent who would likely claim plenty more.