Rory McIlroy hopes a regime of meditation, juggling and mind training will help win a first Masters title.
The 29-year-old Northern Irishman’s new attitude to life has helped him start the year with seven top-10 finishes and victory at the Players Championship.
“I don’t think I’ve ever started a season this well,” said McIlroy, who only needs the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam of major titles.
“It’s focusing on the small things and not living or dying by the results.”
McIlroy has won The Open, US Open and US PGA Championship (twice) and will become the sixth man in history to have won all four majors if he wins at Augusta National.
However, his last victory in a major was in 2014.
“A change of attitude has been one of the biggest keys to how I’ve played for the first few months of the year,” added McIlroy, who tees off alongside American Rickie Fowler at 16:15 BST on Thursday.
“It’s about not getting caught up trying to play perfect golf
Meditation has played its part but McIlroy was keen to point out it’s not going to take over his life.
“Look, I’m not going to go live with the monks for a couple of months in Nepal,” he smiled. “I meditated for 20 minutes on the Sunday morning of the Players Championship. My routine now consists of meditation, juggling and mind training, doing all the stuff to get you in the right place.
“I was watching the Augusta National Women’s Amateur over the weekend and I saw a few women on the range juggling, so it’s catching on.”
