Rory McIlroy: Masters champion defended over crucial practice rounds at Augusta ahead of successful title defence

Rory McIlroy’s preparations for his successful Masters defence have come under scrutiny, but questions over the fairness of his time spent at Augusta National have been firmly dismissed.

McIlroy became just the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters after holding on to beat Scottie Scheffler by one shot on Sunday.

Having completed a career Grand Slam by winning at Augusta in 2025, McIlroy claiming the sixth major title of his career 12 months later has further elevated the Northern Irishman’s standing among the sport’s all-time greats.

Despite there being no doubt over McIlroy’s excellence, comments he made midway through the event, revealing the regularity with which he had played at Augusta in recent weeks, have led to a post-tournament debate.

One of America’s leading sports talk shows debated on Monday whether McIlroy had gained an unfair advantage by playing at Augusta, leading several others to weigh in on the debate on social media.

‘I’ve been on this golf course so much’

McIlroy made a stunning start to his title defence by reaching 12 under at the halfway stage, opening up a record six-shot lead over the rest of the field.

Speaking after his second round, McIlroy explained how he thought he had been aided by using the weeks ahead of the tournament to practice at Augusta, as he skipped all three PGA Tour events between The Players and The Masters.

McIlroy said: “I’ve been on this golf course so much the last three weeks, and that’s been a combination of practice and chipping and putting around greens, and then just playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself and just trying to figure it out.

“I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it.

“I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event.

“I’d rather come up here. I did a couple of days where I dropped [my daughter] Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her, or had dinner with [my wife] Erica.

“I did a couple of day trips like that where I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio. It wasn’t really about conserving energy, but just I felt the more time I could spend up here, the better.”

‘An advantage, but not an unfair one’

McIlroy’s quotes received immediate attention on social media, but questions over the fairness of his build-up to the tournament were put on hold when he gave up his six-shot lead during the third round.

However, once McIlroy had produced a spirited display on Sunday, coming from behind to win, some returned their focus to the time he had spent at Augusta ahead of the tournament.

The segment on US television sparked a debate, in which the golfing community has emphatically defended McIlroy. American duo Michael Kim and Kevin Kisner were among those to dismiss any questions over the champion’s approach.

Sky Sports Golf’s Nick Dougherty said: “It has no sense to it really. I feel like that’s more the people outside of golf not really understanding the process, how it all works and what’s available to the players, probably driving it.

“It’s probably testament to the fact that the Masters is a sports event that grabs the attention rather than just a golf one.

“It’s definitely not an unfair advantage. You earn that right to be able to go there.”

After finishing in a tie for 46th as he failed to defend his Players title early in March, McIlroy then chose not to play in the Valspar Championship, Houston Open and Texas Open, which filled the three weeks before The Masters.

Dougherty continued: “Was it an advantage that he did it? Yes, but it’s not an unfair one. It’s smart. And his unfair advantage is he’s so good he doesn’t need to go and play all these tournaments beforehand. But again, he’s earned that, hasn’t he?

“Rory McIlroy can play a limited schedule because he knows that when he does play, he’s probably going to make them count. And he’s earned the chance to play when he wants to play now. He doesn’t have to turn up just because it’s a big event at a golf course.

“Whereas the lesser players, as you’re building your way up, you play a lot more golf and you play where you can. But of course, that’s not where he is because of all the things he’s achieved.”

‘Rory didn’t get anything anyone else wouldn’t have got’

Dougherty made the only Masters appearance of his career in 2008, and insists the treatment he received from Augusta officials suggests other entrants to the 2026 tournament could have practiced on the course just as often as McIlroy if they had wanted to do so.

“I came seventh in the 2007 US Open, so I knew from June of 2007 that in April of 2008, I was going to be playing in the Masters,” Dougherty recalled.

“And so when the opportunity arose, Sir Nick Faldo gave me the advice to make sure I went early because if you just turn up on the tournament week, the wow factor, certainly as a first-timer, is just going to blow you away and it’s going to really affect your performance. You need to go and do your homework and take the time, to do exactly what Rory actually did.

“They gave me a brilliant caddie from Augusta National who showed me all the nuances – you’re not going to get that on tournament week because you have your own caddie – and we spent ages on the course.

“There are obviously not a lot of people there when you go. The club are really forthcoming in allowing you to properly practice while you’re out there on the golf course, hit all different shots, all different pin positions. And so even though it was the first time I knew the place like the back of my hand.

“Sure, they’re going to be probably slightly more helpful with Rory, but I still think he’s probably only gone the amount that someone probably could have called up as a first timer to go and play and see the golf course. I doubt he went more than five times or something.

“I’m pretty sure the golf club would look after someone wanting to practice and prepare for the Masters if they went through the right protocol of calling up. So, I don’t honestly think that he got anything anyone else wouldn’t have done.

“People just think it’s unfair because they assume you can’t go there, and because it’s Rory, they’re saying, ‘ok, you can.’ That’s not how it is.”

Doherty was backed up by current World No 44 Michael Kim, who said he had “plenty of chances” to play Augusta ahead of this year’s tournament.

Kim wrote on social media: “Yes, there is a number of rounds that ANGC will say no to for me to go by myself and play by myself. That number is prob a little lower for me than a guy like Rory.

“If you find a member to host you every time, there’s no limit. “I had plenty of chances to go to ANGC myself if I wanted to but didn’t go. Better use of my time practicing at home or wherever I am to get my game in better shape for my next tournament.

“If I wanted to match the number of rounds at Augusta that Rory got, I easily could have done that.”

Can McIlroy enjoy more major success in 2026? Watch the PGA Championship (May 14-17), US Open (June 18-21) and The Open (July 16-19) all exclusively live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.