Rory McIlroy Explains How He Kept Himself 'Distracted' Ahead Of Legacy-Defining Masters Sunday
Rory McIlroy had to try and catch some sleep after grabbing hold of a two-shot lead at The Masters during a masterful round of 66 on Saturday afternoon at Augusta National. After what had to be a night full of tossing and turning, the wait began for the man trying to complete the career Grand Slam on Sunday morning.
What exactly does the leader of the Masters do as he waits for his 1:30 PM ET tee time? How does he distract himself, if only for a minute or two, from thinking about making history and conquering the demons he's befriended across the property over the years?
Just like the rest of us sports-loving degenerates out there.
As he made his way onto the practice tee at Augusta National about an hour before his tee time, McIlroy explained that he immersed himself in sports all morning long.
"Fortunately, Sunday mornings are good for sports," McIlroy said. "I watched Carlos Alcaraz win tennis in Monte Carlo, watched a little bit of soccer, watched a little bit of F1. I just tried to keep myself distracted with other sports I guess."
Following his round Saturday, McIlroy shared that he spent some of his morning that day watching the movie ‘Zootopia’ with his daughter, Poppy. He also shared that he was really putting an emphasis on not spending time on his phone.
"The one thing I've tried to do a good job of this week is just not being on the phone and just trying to stay clear of that and do other things," McIlroy said on Saturday evening.
Sunday's final round of The Masters will be a legacy-defining one for the 35-year-old, win or lose. If he does find the winner's circle at Augusta National, he will become just the sixth player in the modern era to complete the career Grand Slam, winning his first green jacket and his first major championship title since 2014.