Rory McIlroy still feeling Masters momentum 12 months on

Rory McIlroy is hopeful that his "breakthrough" last season at Augusta National can provide a platform for him to win a first Green Jacket at this year's Masters Tournament.

The Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex leader arrives in Georgia for a ninth tilt at the career Grand Slam as the reigning number one on both sides of the Atlantic and World Number Two, with three wins and six other top-fives in his last 12 worldwide starts.

That form would be enough to give anyone confidence but it is his performance here 12 months ago that gives McIlroy the most to smile about.

He enjoyed wild celebrations after holing a bunker shot on the last in a closing 64 that is the lowest final round in Masters history and assured him a second-placed finish, his best result at Augusta.

"I proved to myself that I could do it," he said of that round ahead of his 15th Masters appearance.

"As much as I didn't really get into contention, there was a part of me on that back nine last year that felt that I had a chance and to play the way I did and to eagle 13 and to have those feelings - in my mind, anyway - I felt like it was a breakthrough.

"I walked away from the course and the tournament pretty happy with myself.

"I think you have to go through everything. Not every experience is going to be a good experience. I think that would lead to a pretty boring life. You have to learn from those challenges and learn from some of that scar tissue that's built up.

"I felt last year that I maybe shed some of that scar tissue and felt like I sort of made breakthroughs. I'm feeling as relaxed as I ever have coming in here just in terms of I feel like my game is in a pretty good place. I know the place just about as well as anyone.

"It's a Major Championship. I've won four of them. I've been knocking on the door for that fifth one for a while.

"I feel like I am as good, if not better a player, as I was the last time I won a Major Championship. So I'm feeling pretty good about it."

While last season may have been McIlroy's best finish at Augusta, he had certainly been no slouch before that, with six top tens in seven starts from 2014-2020.

And while he agrees with the consensus that the layout suits his game and he feels comfortable among the azaleas, he does not think that is a guarantee for success.

"There's been players before that it has been said, 'this course is tailor-made for those players' and they haven't gone on to win a Green Jacket. That's always in my mind, too.

"It's not just because a place is deemed perfectly set up for your game, it doesn't automatically mean that you're going to win it one day. There's more to it than that.

"There's also been players that you would think this golf course wouldn't set up well for them and they have gone on and won a Green Jacket.

"It's a factor and it's nice to know that I come back to this place every year and that if I played the way I know that I can, that I should have a good chance.

"I don't need to do anything differently this week. I go out and play the way that I know that I can, get myself in with a chance to win and then those last couple of hours on Sunday, it's not about whether the course sets up well for you, it's about who can hold it together the best."

McIlroy has recently put both a new driver and putter in the bag, with his performance with the former recognised across the golfing world as one of his greatest strengths.

His driving of the 18th at Austin Country Club last time out showed just what he can do when he is on song with the big stick, and the 33-year-old is feeling confident on the tee box.

"I was really happy with how that performed at the Match Play in Austin a couple of weeks ago," he said.

"That was a huge weight off my shoulders in a way. If I can drive the ball well, it's the foundation of my game and I can really play from there and take advantage of that.

"I sort of struggled with the driver for most of this year but I feel like I really found one that I'm comfortable with, that I can shape both ways, that I can manoeuvre and hit the shots that I need, not just for here but for the whole year going forward."