Rory McIlroy won the 2025 Masters Tournament after competing 16 times without securing a victory. Despite his level of expertise, he experiences performance anxiety, which he combats through a unique visualization technique. By imagining the worst-case scenarios, he prepares mentally to deal with any challenges that arise. This approach has helped him mitigate 'first tee nerves' and provides him with a sense of freedom that enhances his performance. With this victory, he joins the ranks of six golfers who have achieved a Grand Slam in golf.
Rory McIlroy, 35, is the winner of the 2025 Masters Tournament, which was held in Georgia on Sunday. However, his path to victory was far from easy. Although McIlroy had competed in the tournament 16 times before, the coveted green jacket had consistently eluded him.
I say this all the time. It's counterintuitive to a lot of people to do this, but I do. If you're trying to overcome anxiety or nerves around performance, I try to think about, well, what's the worst that could happen? I'm not going to die on the golf course.
For whatever reason, imagining the worst-case scenario gave me a level of comfort because I felt like any worst-case scenario that I could bring up in my head, I'd be able to deal with.
This visualization method gives him 'a sense of freedom' on the greens. 'If I can swing free that's when I play my best golf,' he added.
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