Rory McIlroy has responded to one of the most peculiar criticisms in modern golf—that he played too many practice rounds at Augusta National before successfully defending his Masters title in April.

At 37, McIlroy has already cemented his legacy as one of the game's all-time greats. He became just the sixth player ever to complete the career Grand Slam when he won the 2025 Masters, and now, by triumphing again at Augusta last month, he joined an elite club of only four golfers to win back-to-back green jackets.

Yet instead of universal praise, McIlroy faced a baffling backlash: critics claimed he spent too much time practicing on the famed course before the tournament. The narrative seems to have come from nowhere, but McIlroy himself set the record straight during an appearance on the New Heights podcast.

"Actually, my last couple of events before the Masters in Florida, I tweaked my back a little bit, so I had to pull out of the event in Orlando," McIlroy explained. "And then I probably played, I don't know, probably 75% capacity at The Players. So I took three weeks off leading into Augusta, I think, more to get my body right. And then it gave me the opportunity to go up to Augusta and prepare maybe more than anyone else in the field, which actually got a little bit of s––t for afterwards, which was really weird."

McIlroy had openly stated after his first Masters win that he skipped three pre-tournament events specifically to focus on preparation at Augusta. Now, he confirmed that injury recovery was also a key factor in that decision.

Let's be honest: criticizing an elite athlete for over-preparing is a stretch. In any sport—from basketball to tennis to golf—dedication to preparation is what separates champions from contenders. McIlroy's approach paid off with back-to-back green jackets, the ultimate validation.

For those who questioned his methods, McIlroy's response is a masterclass in perspective: when you're chasing greatness, there's no such thing as too much practice.