Rory McIlroy has attributed his historic Masters win to a combination of hard work, natural ability, and an unlikely source of inspiration, the hit Netflix series Bridgerton, which he watched with his wife Erica Stoll. The Northern Irishman’s thrilling victory at Augusta National, which saw him claim the coveted green jacket and complete a career Grand Slam, was a momentous occasion that earned him a substantial £3.1million payday, edging him closer to Tiger Woods’ remarkable career earnings.
After 16 previous attempts at the Masters had fallen short, McIlroy recognised the need to adjust his approach, placing greater emphasis on making the most of his downtime. Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, McIlroy disclosed his strategy for managing pre-tournament nerves and credited his wife with the pre-Masters programme of choice.
“The week of the Masters, for me, I’m just trying to distract myself with doing anything,” said McIlroy. “I’m trying not to watch coverage of the tournament, I’m trying not to watch anything about the golf. You try to just not look at the sports news. So, like, read a book, watch a show, watch a movie.
“So, I was watching Bridgerton with my wife, which was her decision, but I actually got into it,” he added, leaving both Fallon and the audience in stitches. “It was good,” McIlroy reaffirmed, eliciting a supportive response from Fallon: “Yeah, absolutely.”
The popular Netflix series, which focuses on a family of siblings navigating love during the Regency era in London, found its way to McIlroy’s watchlist thanks to his wife, Stoll. The conversation soon turned to how McIlroy spent his Saturday morning before hitting the fairway, revealing that he watched Zootopia with his young daughter Poppy – a detail that had the audience chuckling. McIlroy admitted with a laugh: “You’re just trying to distract yourself.”
When Sunday came around at the Masters, leading up to the final round, the golfer had also disclosed: “I’ve got into Bridgerton – I didn’t think I would. I was very against watching it, but Erica convinced me. So we’re on a bit of a Bridgerton kick this week, yeah.”
Furthermore, reflecting on his routine before triumphing at his second Players Championship in March, McIlroy shared that he had settled down the night before with The Devil Wears Prada, ahead of his Monday victory over J. J. Spaun.
With an additional day of play looming due to weather troubles at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy described his preparation method: “Once I got back to the hotel, I had some room service, watched a little bit of Devil Wears Prada and went to bed. And that was basically it.”
McIlroy’s unexpected revelation certainly amused the journalists present, who were understandably taken aback to discover that the PGA Tour star opted to watch the renowned Meryl Streep film as a means of relaxation before a crucial day of golf. Nevertheless, it appeared to be effective, much like watching Bridgerton was during the Masters weekend.