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Rory McIlroy has opened up about the importance of balance in his life as he seeks to win his first Masters.
His tight schedule has affected his practice time. The Northern Irish golfer missed the cut at the 2023 Players Championship. While it wasn't just fatigue that affected his gameplay, his golf gear was a hurdle too. He soon made clap-worthy progress in the 2023 Match Play, finishing in third place after beating Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy is now getting ready for the Masters, which will take place from April 6-9.
Ahead of the major tournament, McIlroy spoke with Golf Digest about his routine and practice. McIlroy said about how he motivates himself to be disciplined, noting that balance is the key:
"I’m not saying that I deprive myself. I still enjoy myself, and I think that's a very big part of it. I'm not a proponent of going all in one way or another. You need to have balance in your life, and that's what I've always tried to do."
Rory McIlroy added:
"I think for me, my whole life that I wanted to be the best player in the world, and I just thought, ‘Well, if I want to be the best player in the world, I have to start to do these types of things that'll help me on that path, and on that journey.’ I've always been intrinsically motivated anyway to be the best that I can be. And I just realized to be the best that I can be. I need to start to incorporate more habits that are healthier, and that could obviously add to my longevity and my performance."
"I really like to get there ahead of time"- Rory McIlroy talks about his match day routine
Rory McIlroy also spoke about his time management. The former World No.1 said that he usually goes to the golf course a few hours before the contest begins, to avoid the rush:
"Those are a little more structured. I get to the golf course three hours before (a round), I go into the fitness trailer. I do my warm-up. I do my exercises. I really like to get there ahead of time, so that I don't feel rushed."
He added:
"I feel like that three hours of preparation for me before I go and play golf; it's sacred time to get myself in the right place mentally, to make sure that I fuel properly, that I've got the right stuff in my body to go out and play and spend five, five and a half hours on the golf course."
Rory McIlroy played incredibly at the 2022 Masters but couldn't overtake Scottie Scheffler. This year, he will look to win his first Masters of his career. Interestingly, Tiger Woods will also play at the 2023 Masters
