McIlroy's mind coach reveals Masters plan

LOS ANGELES: Rory McIlroy's breakthrough Masters win was shaped by a deliberate strategy to stay laser-focused, even if that meant not saying a word to playing partner Bryson DeChambeau during the final round, McIlroy's sports psychologist Bob Rotella said on Tuesday.

- 

Northern Irishman McIlroy ended his long wait for a Masters title with a birdie on the opening hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat England's Justin Rose at Augusta on Sunday.

The 35-year-old also became the first European man to complete a career Grand Slam with the win, with American DeChambeau later revealing that McIlroy did not speak to him at all during the final round.

"That didn't have anything to do with Bryson. That was just the game plan all week and we wanted to get lost in it," Rotella told the BBC.