(Reuters) -Rory McIlroy’s breakthrough Masters win was shaped by a deliberate strategy to stay laser-focused, even if that meant not saying a word to playing partner Bryson DeChambeau during the final round, McIlroy’s sports psychologist Bob Rotella said on Tuesday.
Northern Irishman McIlroy ended his long wait for a Masters title with a birdie on the opening hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat England’s Justin Rose at Augusta on Sunday.
The 35-year-old also became the first European man to complete a career Grand Slam with the win, with American DeChambeau later revealing that McIlroy did not speak to him at all during the final round.
“That didn’t have anything to do with Bryson. That was just the game plan all week and we wanted to get lost in it,” Rotella told the BBC.
“We didn’t want to pay attention to what anyone else was scoring, or shooting, or swinging or how far they were hitting it -– we just wanted Rory to play his game.”
The strategy appeared to pay off as McIlroy edged out Rose after first missing a five-foot par putt at the 18th in regulation that forced the playoff.
“The point is, if you believe you’re going to win, just play your game and assume that if you do that anywhere near the way you’re capable of, then you will end up number one,” Rotella added.
With the Grand Slam complete, Rotella said McIlroy could finally breathe more easily.
“My guess is that he will go on and win quite a few more, I think he’s thinking of having a multiple-win season.”
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)
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