340 Days After Masters Win, Rory McIlroy Credits Phil Mickelson’s ‘Aggressive’ Advice from 15 Years Ago That Changed His Career

Only after 3,899 days could Rory McIlroy ever don the Green Jacket. The wait was agonizing but worthy. Since last year, McIlroy had explained every detail of his win at Augusta National: what he felt during his incredible shot at the 17th hole or how it felt to bogey the first hole. But what he didn’t mention was Phil Mickelson’s presence. While they may not always agree, a decade ago, Phil Mickelson provided McIlroy with a crucial piece of advice that would forever transform his career on April 13, 2025.

“I played a practice round with Phil Mickelson, probably closer to 15 years ago, and I always remember he said to me, ‘Rory, one of the reasons I love Augusta National is because I feel I can be so aggressive here.’ I remember thinking, ‘What does he mean? I feel the opposite. I feel I can’t be aggressive here because there are so many bad places to miss.’ But Phil had so much—still has, probably, so much faith in his short game that if he does miss an approach shot by being aggressive, he still feels he can get that ball up-and-down,” McIlroy said at Augusta, 340 days after his win.

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The relationship between these two has been pretty rocky. In 2024, when McIlroy was criticizing LIV Golf and pros who moved there, Lefty urged fans not to “pile on” McIlroy and suggested it was time “to let go of our hostilities.” They have traded jabs on social media over the past several months before this.

After McIlroy missed the cut at the Masters and took a couple of weeks off to clear his head, Lefty suggested the LIV Golf League’s limited schedule would be perfect for McIlroy. Last year, after Rory won, Lefty congratulated him. So, for the Irish golfer to credit Mickelson for his advice to help him achieve a career grand slam, despite their relationship, is only fair.

While McIlroy has struggled to win one green jacket at Augusta National, Phil Mickelson has done it thrice. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Lefty had mastered Augusta National, as only 3 years ago, he was T2 there. The Ulsterman explained that Augusta National made him ‘tentative,’ meaning that after hitting bad spots, it became difficult for McIlroy to get a good up-and-down.

But Mickelson has always been at the helm of his short game and known to be better than most. Despite their differences, McIlroy couldn’t resist complimenting Lefty once more, stating that his ‘aggressive’ playstyle still helped him play better and achieve good ups and downs. McIlroy credited this one incident with how he won.

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“I think I would say by becoming a better putter and by maybe working on my short game a little bit and becoming better around the greens, that probably allowed me to become more aggressive with my approach play at Augusta.”

And that’s how, without ever knowing, Mickelson helped the Irish golfer in one of his best career wins that, even with their rocky relationship, he had to credit him for after all. But Mickelson is not the only one who can be credited for McIlroy’s green jacket victory; it’s also his childhood best friend and caddie, Harry Diamond.

Rory McIlroy can’t compromise on his caddie

Over the past decade, Harry Diamond, Rory McIlroy’s caddie, has faced harsh criticism. After the Irishman’s collapse at the 2024 U.S. Open, European pro EddiePepperell and many others suggested that he should replace his caddie because of inexplicable decision-making issues. However, McIlroy stood up for his close friend and rejected any suggestions to replace Harry.

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For a golfer to be a winner, everything has to go right, and without a supportive caddie, this can’t be done. For McIlroy, that’s Harry Diamond. During the latest presser, Rory shared why he is always protective of his caddie.

“I think they don’t understand that he provides a level of comfort on the golf course for me that probably no one else in the world could. You know, if I make a mistake or we make a mistake, I’m much less likely to get angry or get bothered by it because he’s the one on the bag rather than someone else.”

Together, Rory and Harry have won 1 Masters and 21 titles on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. There were many fingers pointed at them, much of the criticism on Diamond, but McIlroy never let him face it all alone, as Harry helps him do the same on the course. So, as Phil Mickelson unexpectedly receives recognition for Rory McIlroy’s victory, it’s only fitting to acknowledge the unwavering support of his caddie!