Phil Mickelson was not surprised by Jon Rahm's success at the Masters, and believes his own strong performance on Sunday was an indicator of how close he remains to the top echelon.

Mickelson shot rounds of 71, 69 and 75 before closing with a stunning seven-under 65 to catapult up to a tie for second at eight-under overall. 

He finished his tournament with five birdies from his last seven holes, capping off the best round of the day in what was Mickelson's best outing since winning the 2021 PGA Championship.

The 52-year-old felt a performance like this was not out of reach due to the way he had been hitting the ball this year.

When asked if Sunday was the beginning of a return to top form, he said: "I'm hopeful that's the case.

"I feel like it was evident to me that I was hitting a lot of good shots, that I was playing well, but I wasn't getting the score out of it. 

"Today was a great day for me to stay present and just keep hitting good shots. Even after I might have had a mess-up here or there, I was able to stay present, keep hitting good shots.

"I'm hopeful that this kind of catapults me into playing the rest of the year the way I believe I'm playing. I really worked hard in the off-season to get ready. 

"I've been shooting some really low scores at home, and today I kind of let it happen rather than trying to force it, and I had a really good day and made some noise.

"Unfortunately it wasn't enough, but it was really a lot of fun for me to play at this level again, and it's encouraging for me going forward the rest of the year."

The six-time major champion said: "It's been a while since I've been able to focus the way I want to" due to off-course distractions, but highlighted how privileged he feels to still be able to perform on such a big stage with perfect health.

"I think it's not so much what I learned [about myself], but I certainly have a lot of gratitude to be able to be here, be part of this tournament, play well, play good golf and take advantage of a unique opportunity that I have.

"Which is to play golf at a very high level at a later stage in life, given that I have not had any physical injuries and I'm able to swing the club the way I want to and, with a little bit of work and dedication, to compete against some of the best players in the world on some of the biggest stages. That's really what's driving me, and today was a very encouraging day."

Turning his attention to the winner, Mickelson spoke about his long-standing relationship with Rahm, and recalled the now 28-year-old beating him on the course as a college student.

"My brother, Tim, was his college coach for four years at Arizona State," he said. "First time I played with him we played Whisper Rock, and he shot 62. I thought I played pretty good, and he gave me a pretty good beat-down.

"So I am not surprised at his success. I mean, it was obvious to me at a very young age that he was one of the best players in the world even while he was in college. To see him on this stage is not surprising for anybody.

"It's hard not to pull for Jon, too. He's such a good guy. He has such a great heart and treats people so well. I think the world of him as a person, and as a player, that's obvious how good he is."

Jon Rahm reflected on the achievements of his hero Seve Ballesteros after winning the Masters on Sunday by four strokes with a score of 12 under.

Rahm posted rounds of 65, 69, and 73 before closing with another three-under 69, pulling well clear of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson in a tie for second at eight under.

It is the 20th professional win of Rahm's career at just 28 years old, and his sixth victory since October after two wins on the European circuit and three on the PGA Tour.

The result comes nearly 40 years to the day since Ballesteros' second win at Augusta National Golf Club back in 1983, and during his interview in the Butler Cabin, Rahm spoke about the impact the Spanish legend had on his life.

"The history of the game is a big part of why I play, and one of the reasons I play… with Seve being [another reason]," he said.

"If it wasn't for that Ryder Cup in 1997 – me and my dad talk about it all the time – we don't know where I would be, or as a family where we would be.

"So for me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of [Ballesteros'] win, on his birthday, on Easter Sunday, it's incredibly meaningful. And to finish it off the way I did – an unusual par, a 'Seve' par – in a non-purposeful way it was a testament to him, and I know he was pulling for me today."

When asked about the moment he felt the tournament was his to lose, he said he could feel the footsteps of the chasing pack at the turn.

"I thought eight was a key birdie, but I didn't expect that bogey on nine, that was a couple of good swings… but I had to get through 'Amen Corner' even par, that's what I was looking at," he said.

"Obviously Phil [Mickelson] and Jordan [Spieth] were making birdies and finishing strong, and they were finishing their round as I was finishing 10, so making sure I didn't put myself in a difficult spot on 10, 11, 12 was the key.

"Then on 13 with that right-to-left wind was when I could turn a little bit and get on the attack, and that's what I did. It was not really one moment, but if I had to pick one I would say hitting that draw perfectly on 13 was the start of it."

During his official presentation, Rahm included a funny story looking back at his wonky start to the tournament, having become the first to ever win the Masters after double-bogeying their first hole.

He spoke about how he received a text from Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz saying the first green is "looking like a walk in the park – 10 minutes before I four-putted it to start the tournament".

"Thank you, Zach," he said. "Don't ever do that again please."

The win means Rahm has reclaimed the world number one ranking yet again as he, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy take turns sitting atop the pile.

Jon Rahm capitalised on a miserable Sunday for Brooks Koepka to race clear and win the Masters by four strokes with a score of 12 under.

Rahm, 28, had a disappointing finish to his third round early on Sunday morning, with a pair of bogeys in the last six holes meaning he would start his final trip around Augusta National Golf Course at nine under, two off the lead.

But Koepka would make two early bogeys, and Rahm tied things up with birdies on the third and eighth holes.

Rahm and Koepka both bogeyed the ninth, but while Koepka continued to head in the wrong direction, Rahm got back on track and opened up a four-stroke buffer with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th, and he closed the show with par on 18.

Koepka ended up finishing at eight under in a tie for second, where he was surprisingly joined by Phil Mickelson after an historic round from the 52-year-old.

Mickelson shot a seven-under 65 in his last round – including five birdies from his final seven holes – to reach eight under for the tournament.

In doing so, Mickelson set the record for the lowest round in Masters history by a player aged 50 or older, finishing his day as the leader in the clubhouse.

He needed an epic collapse from Rahm to make things interesting down the stretch – who at the time only led by two strokes – but it never arrived.

Sunday's other top performance came from Jordan Spieth, putting together a round 66 – with nine birdies and three bogeys – to shoot up the leaderboard into a tie for fourth at seven under.

He was joined by fellow former Masters champion Patrick Reed as well as Russell Henley, with Viktor Hovland and Cameron Young one further back tied for seventh at six under.

Sahith Theegala produced a Tiger Woods-esque chip-in birdie on the 16th hole to claim outright ninth place at five under, with major champions Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa being joined by world number seven Xander Schauffele in a tie for 10th at four under.

Shot of the day

It was impossible to watch Theegala's chip-in run down the 16th green without remembering Woods' famous birdie in his 2005 victory, putting it in the perfect spot to replicate the historic moment.

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson gave himself a sniff of another green jacket success as he rolled back the years at Augusta.

The American won in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and swept up the leaderboard into second place on Sunday thanks to a 65, setting an eight-under-par clubhouse target.

Jon Rahm was out on the course on 11 under through 13 holes, having overtaken Brooks Koepka on the front nine, so Mickelson needed the Spaniard to suffer a late collapse to have a chance of the title.

Mickelson and Koepka have been among the star names who have defected to the LIV Golf series in recent times, while Rahm was flying the flag for the PGA Tour, as players from both circuits went head to head for major glory.

Speaking after his stellar closing round, Mickelson said: "This is as much fun as I could possibly have playing golf.

"The final round of the Masters, and to play the way I did and finish it off with two birdies – this has been a lot of fun. Regardless of the outcome, this has been a really fun day for me."

Mickelson and the LIV Golf set have pocketed fortunes for joining that Saudi-backed series, but they relish the big occasions such as the Masters.

"I'm grateful we get to be here, to play and compete and be a part of this great championship, and to play like I did today was extra special," Mickelson said.

The 52-year-old was thrilled to shoot as low as he did, and he told Sky Sports it was his aim "to shoot low scores and continue playing at a high level".

"I have a unique opportunity given I'm physically not having any issues, and I'm able to play and compete and swing the club the way I want to," Mickelson added.

"If I can focus and work on my game, I can take advantage of this unique opportunity I have and try to do some special things in the game."

Speaking for the LIV players, Mickelson added: "We're all really appreciative to be a part of this. I think it's great for the championship to have all the best players in the world here, playing and competing.

"It's fun for me as a past champion to be able to be a part of this and continue to be a part of this great championship."

Jon Rahm reached the turn on Sunday at the Masters with a two-shot lead as he swept ahead of Brooks Koepka.

Coming into the final round at nine under, two behind Koepka, Rahm birdied the par-four third hole and the par-five eighth to reach 11 under.

Meanwhile, after starting at 11 under, Koepka bogeyed the fourth and sixth to fall to nine under. They then both bogeyed the ninth, leaving Rahm at 10 under, and Koepka at eight under with the back nine to come.

Spain's Rahm, 28, stood potentially just nine holes away from the second major title of his career after also securing the 2021 U.S. Open.

It would also be his fourth win of the year after victories at the Tournament of Champions and The American Express in January, and the Genesis Invitational in February.

Koepka is coming off a win at last week's LIV Golf Orlando, and he was at 13 under when dismal weather brought an early end to Saturday's play, but by Sunday afternoon he looked to have run out of scoring power, with his last birdie coming on the eighth hole of his third round.

Two big names stormed up the leaderboard, with Jordan Spieth shooting a six-under 66 to reach seven under for the tournament and Phil Mickelson going one better with a 65 to get to eight under and set the clubhouse standard, moving level with Koepka.

After starting the day in the top 10, Jason Day capitulated with four double bogeys to be eight over for his round through 13 holes.

Brooks Koepka carried a two-shot lead into the final 18 holes of the Masters after the third round was completed before lunch on Sunday in Augusta.

An early start, made necessary after torrential rain curtailed play on Saturday, meant there was plenty to play for before the players set out on their final circuit of the Georgia course.

Koepka fell back from an overnight 13 under par to 11 under, while nearest rival Jon Rahm reached the 54-hole mark on nine under, with both men signing for rounds of 73. Viktor Hovland was one shot further back in third place after a two-under 70.

The prospect of a LIV Golf player landing the Green Jacket therefore remained a strong possibility, with Koepka among the players widely characterised as rebels for defecting to the Saudi Arabia-backed tour.

LIV CEO Greg Norman spoke before the tournament of the prospect of players from the breakaway circuit mobbing the winner on the 18th green in the final round if he came from within their ranks, rather than from the PGA Tour or elsewhere.

Koepka was on the seventh hole in round three when play was suspended on Saturday afternoon, and at that stage he held a four-shot lead. That dominance was reined in when the action resumed.

Rahm closed to just one behind, 11 under to Koepka's 12 under, by the time the leaders reached the 13th tee, but a bogey six from the Spaniard there knocked him back one shot.

Hovland improved to eight under with five birdies in a row from the 11th, moving ahead of Patrick Cantlay who was early into the clubhouse on six under after a 68.

At 15, Koepka saw his ball roll back off the green and towards water, only to hold up on the damp grass.

That spot of good fortune would be followed by Koepka stretching his lead to three at the short 16th when Rahm sprayed his tee shot the wrong side of a greenside bunker. The world number three could not stop his chip close enough to the hole, missing the putt back.

Koepka's first three-putt of the tournament followed at the 17th, where a par from Rahm cut the deficit back to two, and both men parred the last to set up a titanic battle for glory in the afternoon, scrapping against each other with the backdrop of it being a LIV Golf versus PGA Tour head-to-head.

Twice a winner of the US PGA Championship, and twice a U.S. Open champion, Koepka was bidding to become the 20th golfer to reach five men's major triumphs.

Rahm is also a former U.S. Open winner, while Hovland has yet to win a major.

The final day's play from Augusta did not feature Tiger Woods, as the 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion withdrew due to injury, having toiled his way to nine over, limping as he struggled in the rain on Saturday.

Friday at Augusta National Golf Club was the Brooks Koepka show as the four-time major champion raced out to a three-stroke lead heading into the weekend at the Masters.

Koepka, who opened his week with a seven-under 65 to grab a share of the lead through 18 holes, followed it with a five-under 67 as part of the lucky morning wave who were able to get their rounds in before the harsh weather arrived.

After eight birdies and one bogey on Thursday, Koepka put together a bogey-free round with three birdies and an eagle as he continued his momentum from last week's victory at LIV Golf Orlando.

Jon Rahm was not so lucky to avoid the strong winds and rain arriving later in the day, but he handled it as well as anyone. He started his second round with seven consecutive pars, before birdieing the eighth and ninth to move to nine under right before his round was cut short.

The winds were blowing in with such force that multiple large trees were blown down in spectator areas, but luckily there were reported no injuries.

One further back from Rahm in outright third is 23-year-old amateur Sam Bennett, shooting his second 68 in a row as he bounced back from his first bogey of the week on the fourth hole to go four-under through his final 14.

Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and top-10 talent Viktor Hovland (through 10 holes) are tied for fourth at six under, and while Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are still in the hunt at five under, Day will feel he let a golden opportunity slip.

Through 14 holes, Day was in outright second at nine under, but he finished with a double-bogey on 15, a bogey on 16 and another bogey on 18 to slip into a tie for sixth, seven shots off the pace.

In more strong representation from the LIV Golf players, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Joaquinn Niemann are all in the tie for 10th at four under.

Shot of the day

Cameron Smith started his second round with three bogeys from his first seven holes, but his last hole before play was cancelled was one to remember.

On the par-five eighth, Smith found the bunker with his tee shot, but instead of laying up he opted for the aggressive route and hit his fairway wood, trickling its way onto the side of the green and feeding back towards the hole to set up an eagle.

A little birdie told me…

Rookie Bennett made it to the end of his round in solo second at eight under, and if Rahm slips up, Bennett could become the first amateur since 1958 to hold solo second heading into the weekend.

In fact, his score is the second-best 36-hole mark by an amateur at Augusta, bettered only by Ken Venturi in 1956 (nine under), and they are the only amateurs to ever reach the weekend here with a figure better than three under.

Brooks Koepka feels he is finally back to full health following a serious knee injury that had crippled him over the past two years, claiming a share of the lead after Thursday's opening round at the Masters.

Koepka, a four-time major champion, shot four birdies on his front-nine and four more on his back-nine to go with a solitary bogey in an impressive seven-under 65.

There were warning signs that the 32-year-old may be in for a good week, coming off a victory at LIV Golf Orlando where Koepka became the new tour's first ever two-time winner.

His performance this time was in stark contrast to his efforts at the last two editions of the Masters, where Koepka missed the cut both times, but he told the media after his round that his health made those years complete write-offs.

He shared details of the darkest moments from his recovery, where he could barely get out of bed, and would be in tears while biting down on a towel as his physical therapist tried to bend his knee.

"I just wrote the last two years [at the Masters] off," he said. "I came here three weeks after surgery [in 2021], and last year I wasn't anywhere near it, but I'm healthy now, I've put that behind me, and I'm not too worried about the last two years.

"It's all injury-based. Any athlete, anybody that's going through something where you can't even bend your knee. 

"I'll spare everybody the details of what actually happened – it was pretty gruesome, right – and they told me I could have a surgery that would be pretty much a year and a half [recovery time].

"Then you create bad habits, and there's frustration, and you just feel like you're never going to be healthy.

"I wish I had celebrated the kind of little milestones along the way, instead of thinking I could just power through it… so yeah, it was definitely frustrating, but once you feel good, everything changes."

He said he realised early that he was in for a great day after making a sharp start on a course that was "quite gettable".

"Honestly I think it was just the start," he said. "I got off to a good start – any time you're two under through three it's a good start – so I felt good, and I just kind of piggybacked off that momentum.

"I'm very happy with the way I played. I drove the ball nicely, left it in some good spots, and even missed quite a few putts… it could've been really low, but I'll take it. Seven's pretty good."

Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Viktor Hovland are tied for lead at seven under after Thursday's opening round at the Masters.

It was a shaky start for world number three Rahm as he stumbled to a double-bogey on the first hole, but he birdied the next two to quickly even out his card, before rattling off another five birdies and an eagle the rest of the way.

Koepka, a four-time major champion, is riding high after emerging victorious in last week's LIV Golf Orlando to become the breakaway tour's first ever two-time winner, and he looked terrific with eight birdies and one bogey.

Hovland was the only of the trio to go bogey-free, with the 25-year-old Norwegian now in a great position to make a run at his first major title.

They have a two-stroke lead on the chasing pack, with Australia's former world number one Jason Day shooting a bogey-free, five-under 67, and he is joined in a tie for fourth by Cameron Young.

Tiger Woods carded back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to salvage a disappointing two-over 74, leaving him with work to do on Friday if he is to make the cut.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is part of a loaded logjam tied for sixth at four under, which also includes world number seven Xander Schauffele, former Masters champion Adam Scott, WGC Match Play winner Sam Burns, and surprising rookie Sam Bennett.

Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth is at three under with two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith is at two under with reigning PGA Championship victor Justin Thomas, and Phil Mickelson is joined at one under by fellow Masters champions Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson.

Shot of the day

While Bennett's eagle chip-in, or Rahm's long iron setting up a five-foot eagle putt were worthy contenders, neither had the degree of difficulty of Hovland's par save on the 10th hole.

Landing in a horrible spot in the rough behind a bunker, with almost no green to work with, Hovland played a feathery flop into the fringe and allowed it to trickle next to the hole for an unlikely par.

A little birdie told me… 

It was a memorable day for Bennett, as the 23-year-old amateur began his first round at the Masters with a birdie on the first, an eagle on the second and another birdie on the sixth to tie the best front-nine score by an amateur at Augusta (32).

Meanwhile, after his best major finish last season with a T4 at The Open, Hovland tied his best round at a major, and set a new personal best around Augusta with his seven-under 65.

Joining him at the top of the leaderboard, Rahm will be trying to make history as the first player to ever win the Masters after double-bogeying their opening hole.

The DP World Tour has won its legal battle against members who played in LIV Golf tournaments over a dispute around imposing fines for playing in competing events.

Independent arbiter Sport Resolutions announced on Thursday it had upheld the DP World Tour's decision to punish players who competed in the inaugural tournament run by LIV Golf without a release being granted by the PGA European Tour for the conflicting event.

Fines of £100,000 were handed out to those who chose to compete for LIV Golf, which was initially appealed by the trio of Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding in July last year.

They were later joined by 13 others, though Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Otaegui withdrew their appeals in January.

However, Sport Resolutions confirmed: "The appeal panel ultimately found that the appellants committed serious breaches of the Code of Behaviour of the DP World Tour Regulations by playing in the LIV Golf Invitational (London) and LIV Portland events respectively, despite their release requests having been refused.

"The appeals were dismissed and each of the appellants were ordered to pay the fine of £100,000 originally imposed by the PGA European Tour."

The DP World Tour's chief executive, Keith Pelley, said in a statement: "We welcome today's decision by Sport Resolutions which upholds our regulations and our ability to administer them.

"We are delighted that the panel recognised we have a responsibility to our full membership to do this and also determined that the process we followed was fair and proportionate.

"In deciding the level of these sanctions last June, we were simply administering the regulations which were created by our members and which each of them signed up to.

"It is, of course, regrettable that resources, both financial and staffing, which could have been otherwise deployed across our organisation, have been impacted by this lengthy arbitration process.

"However, with the clarity provided by today's decision, we look forward to continuing to focus on our 2023 global schedule, whilst also continuing to plan for 2024 with the valued support of our many partners and stakeholders.

"We will now carefully consider the details of today's decision with our board, our tournament committee and our legal advisors and take the appropriate action in due course."

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman was not invited to this year's Masters to ensure the focus remained on the competition, according to the chairman of Augusta National.

Norman has been the CEO of the controversial Saudi-backed golf league since its inception and has been an outspoken critic of the PGA Tour on numerous occasions

The Australian finished runner-up at the tournament on three separate occasions, but Augusta National chief Fred Ridley confirmed that they did not invite him to this year's tournament to avoid distraction from the on-course spectacle. 

"We did not extend an invitation to Mr Norman," Ridley said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The primary issue is that I want the focus to be on The Masters competition and the great players that are participating – the greatest players in the world.

"Our decision in December ensured we honoured and were consistent with our invitation criteria for players.

"I would also add that in the last 10 years, Greg Norman has only been here twice and I believe one of those was as a commentator for Sirius Radio. It really was to keep the focus on the competition."

Earlier in the week, the Australian confirmed that he would not be on site for the first major of the year, in a move he described as "petty".

"As a major winner I was always invited before, but they only sent me a grounds pass last year and nothing, zilch, this time around," he told The Telegraph.

"I'm disappointed because it's so petty but of course I'll still be watching."

Despite the 68-year-old's absence, players from LIV Golf have still been invited to compete at this year's tournament, including current Open champion Cameron Smith and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson. 

Justin Thomas is prepared for business as usual at The Masters with little interest in the contentious inclusion of LIV Golf International Series players in Augusta.

The world number 10 will be joined by 17 LIV Golf stars at the Augusta National Golf Course, with six of those rebel golfers automatically qualifying via a lifetime exemption after winning the tournament.

Majors are the only tournaments the two sets of golfers can feature in after the PGA Tour banned those who joined the Saudi-backed rebel series for record purses and 54-hole events.

The DP World Tour also acted to punish the breakaway stars, with £100,000 fines and potential suspensions for those playing in LIV events and opting out of the European competition.

A report from The Times on Tuesday claimed the DP World Tour will win its ongoing court case against the 13 LIV golfers appealing those sanctions, but Thomas is focused on his own matters in Georgia.

"I haven't really talked to any of them," Thomas said at a pre-tournament press conference.

"I don't know if it's just been coincidence or I've had the blinders on, but it's just been business. I'm just trying to take care of myself and I'm not worried about what they're doing."

Thomas' best Masters finish came when he battled to fourth in 2020, while the American tied for eighth in his most recent appearance last year.

Ahead of the start of the tournament on Thursday, Thomas is aiming to take a more casual approach in search of his third major title – having won the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.

"I can definitely want something too much," he continued. "I've wanted to win this tournament too much in the past.

"I've wanted to be world number one too badly, I've wanted to win golf tournaments too badly – it's a fine line.

"It's a learning process and I'm starting to learn a bit more. I'd love to be world number one and win tournaments, and not have to figure it out the tough way.

"But there is a lot of good that can come out of some negative experiences if you choose to look at it that way."

Thomas will play with Jon Rahm and Cameron Young in his first round, with that three-ball line-up teeing off at 10:42am local time.

Cameron Smith believes it is crucial for the LIV Golf Invitational Series to have players capable of competing for the title at Augusta.

The Masters starts on Thursday, with the world's best players flocking to Georgia for the first major of the year.

That includes those still registered with the PGA Tour, and the LIV Golf rebels who joined the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway tournament.

Smith, who won The Open in 2022, was among them. The Australian heads into the Masters in sixth in the world rankings, making him the highest-ranked LIV Golf player.

But having any LIV Golf representative battling it out for the green jacket will mark a success for the tour, according to Smith.

"I think it's just important for LIV guys to be up there because I think we need to be up there," he told reporters while acknowledging the competition in the LIV events is not always as strong as those on the PGA Tour.

"I think there's a lot of chatter about 'these guys don't play real golf; these guys don't play real golf courses'.

"For sure, I'll be the first one to say, the fields aren't as strong. I'm the first one to say that.

"But we've still got a lot of guys up there that can play some really serious golf, and we compete against each other hard week-in and week-out and we're trying to do the same things that we did six months ago.

"It's nice. It's a good feeling to have that competition. I think we just need a good, strong finish."

Tiger Woods should be commended by every player on the PGA Tour for his efforts in fighting the LIV Golf Invitational Series, says Rory McIlroy.

World number two McIlroy has become the PGA Tour's de facto spokesperson over the past year, leading the charge against the Saudi-backed breakaway competition, which has lured some of golf's biggest names.

Woods, too, has stood by the PGA Tour.

Both McIlroy and Woods will be competing alongside some of the LIV Golf rebels at the Masters this week, with the latter back in action where he won the most recent of his 15 major titles back in 2019.

The pair have entered into a business venture – the TGL; the competition will feature 18 players, divided into six teams, competing over 18 holes on a virtual course. It will launch in 2024. 

For McIlroy, the experiences of the past 12 months have only strengthened his bond with Woods.

"I talk to him every day. That's the thing to me. I can remember the first time I met him, and how I felt," McIlroy told BBC Northern Ireland.

"To forge that relationship with him, and for him to really take an interest in what I do and take an interest in my game, my family and all that side of things.

"I'm unbelievably grateful for his friendship and his guidance but also his leadership through everything that's happened in the last 18 months as well.

"If anyone didn't need to do anything, it's Tiger Woods. But he stood up and tried to do what’s right for the game of golf and every single player on the PGA Tour needs to commend him on that."

McIlroy is confident TGL can be a hit with fans and players.

He added: "The business side of things with Tiger and I is amazing. I think TGL is a cool concept and hopefully we'll turn it into not just a cool concept but a cool entertainment project that people can get behind and really enjoy."

For now, the focus for McIlroy is on ending his nine-year wait for a fifth major title.

The 33-year-old has never won at Augusta, with his best finish coming in 2022, when he placed second behind Scottie Scheffler. 

Reflecting on what he could learn from Woods' approach at the Masters, McIlroy said: "The one thing he did really well at Augusta is just discipline.

"It [the course] can really goad you into taking in shots you don't need to take on. If you look at the two most successful players at Augusta, it's Tiger and Jack [Nicklaus].

"They're the two most successful players in the history of our game, so discipline, not taking on too much risk."

Woods has won the Masters five times in his storied career.

Brooks Koepka became the first multiple winner in LIV Golf's short history after securing a one-stroke victory at LIV Golf Orlando on Sunday with a score of 15 under.

Koepka, a four-time major champion, won his first event on the new tour back in October at LIV Golf Jeddah, and he came into his third and final round in Orlando leading by three strokes after a pair of six-under 66s on Friday and Saturday.

He was bogey-free with four birdies through 14 holes as he tried to close it out, but Sebastian Munoz – who set the LIV Golf single-round scoring record with a nine-under 62 on Friday – was chasing him down.

Koepka's first bogey on the 15th cut his lead to one, but Munoz also bogeyed to briefly give back the two-stroke buffer, before birdieing the 16th to set up a tense finish.

Munoz appeared to throw his chances away when he sailed his bunker shot on 17 well past the green, but he got up-and-down for par to keep it at one shot going onto the last.

Both players found the middle of the green in regulation, and while Munoz gave himself a tap-in par, Koepka left himself a sweaty six-footer for the win, but made no mistake.

For the victory, Koepka took home a $4million winner's cheque, as well as his share of the second-placed team prize as his Smash GC finished one stroke behind Munoz's Torque GC.

Dean Burmester and Patrick Reed were tied for third at 12 under, while Dustin Johnson banked a top-10 with a solo seventh at 10 under.

After briefly climbing up into the top-five at 10 under, Cameron Smith went bogey, bogey, triple-bogey to fall back five shots.