1 week Ago By Andrew Gamble
Rory McIlroy has made decisive changes to his diet, cutting out two particular foods in hopes of improving his golf game - and it delivered a Masters title. After over a decade without a major title, the Northern Irishman survived concerns of a collapse to win the Masters, claim the elusive green jacket, and complete the career Grand Slam. McIlroy finished 11-under par, tied with Justin Rose after the newly-crowned five-time major champion bogeyed the 18th before winning the playoff on the same hole .
The 35-year-old arrived at Augusta in prime form with two PGA Tour wins on the season. While the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Ludvig Aberg fell away , Rose sustained the pressure on McIlroy - but he held his nerve to claim the coveted win that so many fans yearned for. His astounding performance throughout 2025 , capturing titles at both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship before the Masters - a career first - has been witnessed.
It ultimately culminated in his career-defining moment on the iconic Georgia hills. McIlroy's success isn’t just raw talent; he's rigorously honed his diet and fitness routines to maintain top form. Ranked second globally, he discerned that while his flexibility was sufficient, his strength needed work to manage his swing efficiently, prompting him to boost his protein intake to prevent hyper-extension.
Rory McIlroy opened up to Golf.com about his dietary overhaul: "I had to up my protein intake quite a bit. I'd eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight.
I still do that, 170 grams per day of protein." However, he decided to cut out two traditional sources of protein — pork and eggs. He explained the change by discussing his gluten-free diet, saying, "It just doesn't agree with my body.
Those are more of a personal thing that's unique to my body." Alongside these modifications, McIlroy scaled back on two favorite sweet treats: chocolate and ice cream, now reserving them for infrequent spoiling. "I don't think you want to demonise food," McIlroy remarked.
"It's about being able to fit it into your diet so you can have it every once in a while and feel good about it and not feel guilty. There's so much guilt associated with eating. If you can break that mental barrier, you'll be better off.
" The golf star is also known for his vigorous fitness regimen, intensified since his early career days. His exercise ritual kicks off with dynamic warm-up actions such as light jogging, lunges, and rotational squat jumps. McIlroy’s challenging fitness program incorporates deadlifts, pull-ups, planks, dumbbell exercises, more lunges, and a medicine ball rotation drill meant to boost his flexibility.
Every element of his workout is performed three times, while the rotation exercise is repeated ten times on each side. To prevent stiffness and potential injuries, he concludes his regimen with a series of stretches for his cool-down..
