It's no surprise that the odds suggest Rory McIlroy is one of the favorites to win the 2018 Masters. The 28-year-old Irishman has never worn the Green Jacket at Augusta, but he's played himself into (and, also, out of) contention in the past, and he enters the tournament at No. 7 in the Official World Golf Rankings -- fresh off a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
So, how is McIlroy approaching the Masters this year as he tries to complete the grand slam at Augusta? He joined "Masters on the Range" to discuss pressure and preparation heading into the tournament.
"This is my fourth go at trying to complete the slam," McIlroy said. "Obviously that comes with its own pressures but you just got to treat it like ... not any other week, because this isn't any other week ... but just try to prepare for the golf tournament the best way you can and execute your shots when you're out there."
To prepare, McIlroy says he's played more golf leading up to this tournament than he had in previous runs. This will be McIlroy's ninth event of 2018, and he estimates that the Masters was typically "sixth or seventh" start in years prior.
McIlroy has also made it a point to get himself familiar with Augusta in recent weeks. He's played a significant number of rounds at the course over the past month or so in preparation of the Masters.
"I played 54 holes here Wednesday and Thursday last week," McIlroy said. "I was up here a couple of weeks before that and played another 36, just real comfortable on the golf course -- different pin positions, different shots, playing one ball, shooting scores. If you can do it in that environment, there's no reason why you can't go out and do it in the tournament as well."
McIlroy's highest finish at the Masters came in 2015, when he placed fourth.
