McIlroy to ignore noise around major drought at Augusta

McIlroy's last major victory came at the 2014 PGA Championship, and he has since failed to win on any his last 38 appearances at golf's four biggest tournaments.

The Northern Irishman has endured plenty of heartbreaking collapses during that time, including a couple at Augusta National.

A five-over-par 77 in the third round derailed him in 2016, while he pulled within one shot of the lead on the final day of the 2018 tournament before a barrage of bogeys saw him finish tied for fifth. He also finished second in 2022, three shots back of Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy also bogeyed three of the final four holes of last year's U.S. Open in perhaps his most agonising major finish yet, missing two four-foot putts as he was overhauled by Bryson DeChambeau.

But the 35-year-old told reporters on Tuesday that he has moved on from those "what if" moments.

"It's just narratives, it's noise," McIlroy said at his pre-tournament press conference.

"It's just trying to block out that noise as much as possible. I need to treat this tournament like all the other tournaments that I play throughout the year.

"There's a lot of anticipation and build-up coming into this tournament each and every year, but I just have to keep my head down and focus on my job."

McIlroy has made the top 10 at eight of the last 12 majors, including three second-place finishes, but he does not dwell on any of his near misses.

"Once you go through those heartbreaks, as I call them, or disappointments, you get to a place where you remember how it feels and you wake up the next day and you're like 'yeah, life goes on, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be'," McIlroy added.

"It's going through those times, especially in recent memory, where the last few years I've had chances to win some of the biggest golf tournaments in the world and it hasn't quite happened. But life moves on. You dust yourself off and you go again.

"I think that's why I've become a little more comfortable in laying everything out there and being somewhat vulnerable at times."

A win at the Masters would see McIlroy become the sixth golfer in history with a career grand slam, after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

He is the only multiple winner on the PGA Tour this year, having triumphed at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and the Players Championship in March.

"I'm feeling good," McIlroy said. "It's been a nice way to start the year with the two victories. I had a decent showing last time out when I played in Houston.