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Rory Mcilroy remains unapologetic for his deafening silence at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy has finally addressed the deafening silence that hung over Augusta during the final round of the 2025 Masters.
Golf fans across the globe watched as McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau faced off in the last pairing on Sunday.
The lack of interaction between the pair lit up social media faster than the leaderboard shift.
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After the round, DeChambeau who was severly outclassed by Mcllroy on Sunday, lit the fuse with a pointed comment: “Didn’t talk to me once all day,” the LIV Golf star told reporters.
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“He wouldn’t talk to me.”
Pressed on whether there was a falling out, DeChambeau simply shrugged: “He was just like—just being focused, I guess. It’s not me, though.”
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06:22 - 14.04.2025
The 2025 Masters: 5 KEY things Rory McIlroy did to destroy Bryson DeChambeau and seal the Career Grand Slam
Bryson DeChambeau dramatically crumbled under pressure as Rory Mcllroy bounced back from an early scare to claim victory at Augusta National.
Mcllroy's silence EXPLAINED
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However, it turns out Mcllroy’s action wasn’t personal. It was tactical.
McIlroy’s longtime sports psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella, revealed the strategy on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, as quoted by The Independent.
“That didn’t have anything to do with Bryson,” Rotella said.
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“That was just the game plan all week, and we wanted to get lost in it.”
Rotella laid out McIlroy’s mental blueprint, and it was all about tunnel vision.
No talking. No reacting. No letting another player’s presence interfere.
“We didn’t want to pay attention to what anyone else was scoring, or shooting, or swinging, or how far they were hitting it,” he explained.
“We just wanted Rory to play his game… assume that if you do that anywhere near the way you’re capable of, then you will end up number one.”
Rory Mcllroy breaks silence after ignoring Dechambeau
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In the post-tournament press conference, McIlroy didn’t dance around the topic.
The 2025 Masters champion addressed it head-on.
“It’s such a battle in your head,” the 35-year-old said while reflecting on the mental intensity.
“Trying to stay in the present moment and hit this next shot good and hit the next shot good.”
And about Bryson? The Northern Irishman made his intentions clear shutting down talks of a rift.
“My battle was with myself. It wasn’t with anyone else.”
Even when the tournament heated up and Justin Rose forced a playoff, Rory stayed locked in.
“At the end there, it was with Justin, but my battle today was with my mind and staying in the present. I’d like to say that I did a better job of it than I did. It was a struggle, but I got it over the line.”
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In the end, the mind games worked.
McIlroy birdied the 18th in a playoff with Rose to secure his first Masters win and complete the coveted career Grand Slam that had eluded him for a decade.
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