Jack Nicklaus told Rory McIlroy to “don’t double bogey” before the Northern Irish golfer won his second successive Masters title.
Nicklaus stands alone in golf history with 117 individual tournament wins, including 18 major tournaments and 6 at Augusta, and is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time.
The American has long maintained a close relationship with McIlroy, and shed light on the conversations the pair had prior to his recent success at a tournament that had eluded him throughout his career.
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McIlroy’s final-round highlight at the Masters was a 1-under-par 71 that earned him his second consecutive green jacket at Augusta National.
“This year, I saw (McIlroy) on the practice tee right before teeing off,” Nicklaus said at a press conference before the Memorial Tournament held at Muirfield Village, which he hosted and where McIlroy was scheduled to play.
“I was getting ready to go to the first tee to open, and I put my hand on his shoulder and said, ‘No double bogey.’”
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“The key for him was not to double bogey. He ended up making a couple in the last two rounds, but he never made one in the first two rounds.
“I was very happy for Rory. I was happy for him. I was a huge fan of Rory.
“Now he just has one thing left on his resume: a win here (at the Memorial Tournament). Just tell him he has to do that.”
McIlroy reveals Masters plan ‘shot for shot’, says Nicklaus.
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Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson return to Augusta National as honorary starters to hit the first tee shot of the 2026 Masters Tournament.
Nicklaus also reflected on the success McIlroy enjoyed in winning his first Masters, and revealed more details about the meal the pair shared ahead of the 2025 tournament.
“We sat down and had lunch the weekend before the Masters a couple of years ago,” he said.
“I said, ‘Okay, Laurie, tell me how you want to play the golf course.’ And he said, ‘Do you want it all?’ I said: ‘Yes, give me a chance.’
“So Rory kept going through all of this and said, ‘What do you think?’ And I said: ‘Well, I wouldn’t change anything. This is how you have to play.’
“He changed it once. He changed it on the third hole as well. He said he wouldn’t drive if there was a pin left, but he would drive every time.
“Well, he drove that car on Sunday and put it right at the bottom of the hill and made birdie.
“But he gave himself the opportunity to create more than that.
“But that birdie probably won the tournament that first year.”
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