Rory McIlroy couldn’t help but laugh at an unusual question about his preparations for The Masters this weekend.
McIlroy will make his 17th appearance at Augusta National for what is the first major tournament in the calendar; it’s also the only Major he hasn’t won.
The Northern Irishman has already delivered success in 2025 as he won his second Players Championship title at Sawgrass last month.
After beating JJ Spaun in the three-hole play-off, he revealed how he helped calm the nerves the night before with a classic 2006 film.
McIlroy watched The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, which led to curiosity from a journalist on Tuesday.
During his pre-Masters press conference, a reporter asked: “First of all, just a check on your elbow, any nagging issues with it?
“And secondly at Sawgrass, it was The Devil Wears Prada that got you in the mood…”
McIlroy laughed and smiled in response before adding: “In the mood for what?”
“Anything planned for this week, similarly?” the reporter then asked, with McIlroy laughing again before offering his next reply.
“Elbow is good, got a little bit of treatment on it last week and it’s all good,” he said after recently revealing the issue was ‘bothering’ him.
“I’ve got into Bridgerton the last… I didn’t think I would, I was very against watching it. But Erica [wife] convinced me, so we’re on a bit of a Bridgerton kick this week.”
Although it may be unlikely, Bridgerton could end up being a lucky charm for McIlroy as he eyes his first ever win at the Masters.
A runner-up finish behind Scottie Scheffler in 2022 is the closest he’s come to winning all four golf majors and a career Slam. McIlroy also blew a four-shot lead going into the final day at Augusta in 2011.
PGA Championship, US Open and The Open triumphs have all been added to his accolades, so maybe 2025 could finally be his year.
When asked about whether or not he feels added pressure to win, he said: “No, it’s just narratives. It’s just noise. It’s just trying to knock out that noise as much as possible.
“I need to treat this tournament like all the other tournaments that I play throughout the year.
“I understand the narrative, there’s a lot of anticipation and build-up going into this tournament every year.
“But I just need to keep my head down and focus on my job.”
Scheffler will defend his Masters title for a second time this week, with the action getting underway in Augusta this Thursday.
He joins McIlroy in a field of 95 players that also includes fellow all-stars Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.
