McIlroy feels 'less pressure' to complete career Grand Slam at the Masters

Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy said he feels "less pressure" now at the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam than earlier in his career.

"I'm in a maybe, at a different stage of my life where back then golf was everything," McIlroy told reporters Tuesday at Augusta National. "It's obviously still very, very important. But maybe back then, I would think - I don't know if I would feel if I was fulfilled if I didn't win one."

The Masters is the only major that McIlroy has yet to win. He won his first at the 2011 U.S. Open and won the PGA Championship the next year. By the end of 2014, the then-25-year-old was just one major shy of a career Grand Slam after winning the Open Championship.

Only five players in the history of men's golf have successfully completed the career Grand Slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

This week at Augusta National will be McIlroy's eighth attempt at locking up the career Grand Slam. The closest the 32-year-old came was in 2015 when he finished fourth at the Masters.

"Jordan (Spieth) played wonderfully that week (in 2015), and I played well. I played maybe not as well as I could, but I played pretty much up to my potential, and it just wasn't good enough that week," said McIlroy.

McIlroy is currently ranked No. 9 in the world and already has one win this season heading into the Masters.

"I know if I play well, I'll give myself chances to win this golf tournament," said McIlroy.