Butch Harmon believes Rory McIlroy will enjoy every second of his title defense at the Masters, insisting there will be no added pressure to repeat his “spectacular” victory at Augusta National last year.
McIlroy returned to the Masters for the first time since completing his career Grand Slam, ending his elusive 11-year wait for a fifth major title with a dramatic playoff win over Justin Rose last April.
The emotional win ended McIlroy’s streak of 21 top-10 finishes and near-misses at majors since his success at the 2014 PGA Championship, making the world No. 2 only the sixth male player to complete a career Grand Slam.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the final round of last year’s Masters at Augusta National, where McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam.
McIlroy will join Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only players to successfully defend their Masters title, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday, but Harmon believes he has no worries about the Northern Irishman achieving another special golf milestone.
“Normally you would think, yeah, there’s going to be more pressure if there’s a chance to defend the title,” Harmon said in a media call before working as part of Sky Sports’ commentary team at the Masters.
McIlroy returns to Masters as defending champion
“He put that problem behind him by winning last year and now he has the green jacket, so I don’t think he’ll be as solid as a lot of people think.
“I think we’re going to see a more relaxed Rory this year. His game is starting to take a turn for the better. He reminds me of Tiger on that golf course. He has the ability to dominate the golf course with the way he moves the ball.”
“I think you’re going to see Lowry not having to put the pressure on himself that he’s worked so hard to win and reach Grand Slams. So I think that’s going to be an advantage for him. I think he can relax and play to the best of his ability.”
McIlroy had a strong showing last year, surviving a battle with Bryson DeChambeau in the final round, taking a commanding lead on the back nine just as he did in 2011, and then birdied Rose on the extra hole of the playoff to defeat Rose.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Best shots from McIlroy’s historic 2025 Masters victory that ended his 11-year wait for a fifth major title
“I thought (McIlroy’s win) was great,” Harmon added. “Because of what it was, how long it had been since Rory won to get a career Grand Slam, and the pressure was on him.
“Commenting on Sky, I could tell I was nervous myself. I don’t usually get nervous when commentating because I had no idea what was going to happen. I’m a big fan of Rory so I was hoping he would do it, but the result was something special.”
McIlroy’s memorable win after back-nine drama
The former world No. 1 led the tournament until an unexplained double bogey on the par-5 13th, but suffered a drop shot on his next shot and Rose advanced after the Briton exploded for birdie.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Despite laying up on his second shot at the par-5 13th, McIlroy caught Ray’s Creek on his short approach and suffered a double bogey.
McIlroy made a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th with a great approach from Pines, creating the best shot of his career, but a final bogey on the 17th erased the birdie and sealed the playoff victory.
“Honestly, I was very surprised by the pitch shot at No. 13, where there was a slope 30 feet to the left of the hole that would get the ball to the flag,” Harmon explained. “I think he just lost focus or something there, which I thought was unusual for Rory.
“The fact that he even went for a layup was also a little unusual considering how aggressive he is. Then he made a trajectory all the way to 17 with an incredible shot. It’s so hard to get to that back pin. There was a big downhill there and the ball went away. So I thought that was great.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
McIlroy bogeyed the 72nd hole of the Masters and fell into a playoff with Justin Rose.
“The wedge shot on the last hole wasn’t as bad as people give him credit for because he was leading and he was aiming for the middle of the green instead of the flag.
“He just gave it a little bit of effort and then he didn’t get back up. Then you go to the playoffs, where he made almost the same shot and he hit back solid and won the tournament. Now he can walk around in a green jacket all day long and he’s going to love every minute of it.”
Augusta offers ‘golf’s holy grail’ after ‘uncomfortable’ Ryder Cup
The Masters was the first major tournament since September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, and Team Europe overcame the hostile atmosphere of the New York crowd to earn a famous victory on away soil.
“I thought I hated the Ryder Cup,” Harmon added. “I was embarrassed to be an American. I didn’t want to be a part of it. I’m tired of the way it’s done.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
A look back at how the European teams dealt with the raucous Bethpage crowd on Day 2 of the Ryder Cup as they built a record-breaking lead
“That’s the beauty of Augusta. It’s the best-behaved patron in the entire golf world. I love the Open Championship because everyone in the gallery understands golf and they understand how to cheer.”
“This place is like the holy grail of golf in the United States. It’s hard to get tickets to come to this event. It’s probably the hardest event to get tickets to, but the patrons there are very well-behaved because they’re the same people who come back year after year.”
“I hated how things went at the Ryder Cup. I thought it was a terrible embarrassment for the United States and I hope it never happens again.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from Bethpage Black’s key moments on the final day of the 2025 Ryder Cup as Europe continues to win the trophy
McIlroy has played a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup success, earning 3.5 points following his top score in Rome two years ago, and Harmon expects him and Scottie Scheffler to challenge for victory at this week’s Masters.
“I think the obvious ones are Rory and Scheffler, because they’re the No. 1 and No. 1 players in the world,” Harmon predicted. “He (McIlroy) was 11 years away from winning a major, but he did it last year in incredible fashion.
McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler both aim for more success at Masters
“He (Scheffler) seems a little frustrated on the course at times, and that’s a side of him that we haven’t seen. But he’s still Scheffler, and he’s a tremendous competitor. It doesn’t matter if he’s on his A game, his B game, his C game. He’s going to give 110 percent.”
“He’s won there before, he knows how to win there and he’s the No. 1 player in the world. If I had to pick the automatic favorites it would probably be Rory and Scotty, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
Who will win the Masters? Watch the opening round of this year’s Major exclusively live on Sky Sports from 9th to 12th April. Live coverage of the first round will begin on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Thursday. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
Book your round at the lowest price on one of 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland
