Rory McIlroy says meditation keeping him on course for success

Rory McIlroy has discovered his spiritual self, in a way. And his decision to take up meditation as a form of self-preparation for whatever he may encounter out on the golf course could – perhaps – provide a way to finally break the code in his quest for a green jacket.

“Look, I’m not going to go and live with the monks for a couple of months in Nepal, but just to be able to get your mind in the right place and be able to focus and to centre yourself . . . it’s 10 minutes a day. It’s not as if I’m being consumed by it. But, definitely, it is something that has helped from time to time,” said McIlroy, who revealed he’d meditated for 20 minutes on the morning of his final round in winning the Players last month.

He added: “I guess I’ve dabbled in it over the years and I’ve needed it from time to time. But I never fully immersed myself in it. It’s searching until you find what resonates with you. Maybe what resonates with me isn’t going to resonate with someone else. But I found what I feel is the best path forward for me and I’ve committed to it.”

While McIlroy – very much comfortable in his own skin these days – will be competing in his 11th Masters, Shane Lowry is only making his fourth appearance but is hopeful a newly-acquired Srixon driver will solve the issues off the tee which have plagued him all year.

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“It’s not been great since [the win in] Abu Dhabi. I am not making excuses or anything but I have struggled with my driver all year, really struggled. I am on my fifth or sixth driver since Abu Dhabi. I used Callaway, tried the TaylorMade, Titleist and eventually tried the Srixon, they’ve come out with a new driver and I was pretty happy with it. I have to tell myself this, but I really feel the one I have now is good.

“I have had a serious left in my tee shot all year and you can’t play golf with that, a quick left. You can’t play with it. I just felt like every week I was getting to a tournament and there is reps there and there is drivers there and I must have hit 30, 40 different drivers this year trying them. Week after week it gets harder but I feel like I have found one now,” said Lowry.