Rory McIlroy has been discovering the perks of being Masters champion after returning to Augusta National for the first time since completing the Grand Slam, while also scouting out changes to the course ahead of his title defence.
With just under 50 days until the 2026 Masters, McIlroy told reporters at the Genesis Invitational that he'd been back to Augusta National recently for the first time since completing his Grand Slam odyssey last April.
After checking out his champion's locker McIlroy has been filming at Augusta and plans to return next week for a very special round playing alongside club chairman Fred Ridley. He's also planning to take his dad Gerry for a round among the Azaleas.
The Northern Irishman also got a sneak peak of the slight tweak made to the 17th hole, and gave his verdict on how it would play when he lines up to defend his Masters title in April.
"That's coming up," McIlroy said of his impending round at Augusta with his dad. "I'm going to go up there and play with the chairman next week actually."
McIlroy says it was more nostalgic rather than emotional to head down Magnolia Lane for the first time since finally slipping on the Green Jacket.
With finally getting his place in the famed Augusta Champions Locker Room just one of the perks he's found with being the Masters champion.
"It was cool to get up to the Champions Locker Room and see my nameplate alongside the other two champions that I share a locker with," McIlroy explained.
"Yeah, it was somewhat nostalgic. I wouldn't say it was emotional but definitely there was nice memories. Yeah, different feels the first time staying on site without having to need a member there. There's a lot of perks you get with being a champion."
And on the slight tweak to 17, lengthening it by 10 yards, McIlroy says it makes no real difference to how it will play at The Masters after seeing it during his visit.
"It wasn't even a round," he said of his Augusta return. "I was doing some filming up there. I was out on the course and was hitting some shots, but the course isn't real different.
"I mean they've moved - they haven't moved the tee box of 17 back, they've moved the plate where it was played from back 10 yards to make it 10 yards longer.
"But apart from that, the course is pretty much the same."
As defending champion McIlroy has a lot on his plate when he returns to Augusta - quite literally with one of his biggest tasks being to select a menu for the Champions Dinner.
All the extra media commitments and duties of being Masters champion is usually a huge distraction, but they're distractions McIlroy will be delighted to take on after finally completing the full set of Major titles.
