Rory McIlroy satisfied with recovery from back injury ahead of Masters title defence

[p]The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland captured his fifth major title by winning last year's Masters to complete a career Grand Slam.[/p][p][b]"This is going to be the first time I drive down Magnolia Lane (as champion) and it's all going to be about enjoying my week and the perks that come along with being a Masters champion," [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcilroy-rory/djwanksN/"]McIlroy[/a] said on Wednesday in a conference call.[/p][p]Those include a champion's parking spot, a place in the champions locker room and hosting the Champions Dinner two days before the event tees off on April 9th.[/p][p][b]"I know I get to go back to the Masters for the rest of my life," [/b]McIlroy said. [b]"That's quite a freeing feeling."[/b][/p][embed guid="60fb700c-b0aa-4765-a5b0-7dd4a288e96c" url="https://x.com/i/status/1911567572652130688" social-type="twitter" /][p]After a third-place showing at Dubai in January and a share of second last month at the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational, McIlroy raised concerns by pulling out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago at Bay Hill with a back injury.[/p][p]World number two McIlroy, however, says those issues have been resolved as he makes final preparations to defend the green jacket.[/p][p][b]"Prep has run pretty well," [/b]McIlroy said. [b]"Had that little back issue at Bay Hill, which threw a spanner in the works, but I've recovered from that pretty quickly.[/b][/p][p][b]"I'm really pleased with how my body responded to that little setback."[/b][/p][embed guid="03ddb532-5a86-4f9e-ae93-b20ad75e375b" url="https://x.com/i/status/2032160369603403914" social-type="twitter" /][p]After a share of 46th defending his title at The Players Championship, McIlroy will be off until he tees off at Augusta.[/p][p][b]"I'm really excited to get to the week of the Masters and defend," [/b]McIlroy said. [b]"I know defending is a pretty rare feat and I would like to do that for sure."[/b][/p][p]Only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woods-tiger/jcA2kkj7/"]Tiger Woods[/a], Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo have captured the Masters in consecutive years, with Woods the most recent in 2001-2002.[/p][h2]Master McIlroy's menu[/h2][p]McIlroy revealed his menu for the April 7th Masters Champions Dinner on Wednesday, stacking the lineup with personal favourites and some Georgia delights.[/p][p]Appetisers will include bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese (after his mother's recipe), rock shrimp tempura, Georgia peach and ricotta flatbread and grilled elk sliders.[/p][p][b]"In the buildup to the Masters last year, I was eating a lot of elk,"[/b] McIlroy said.[/p][p]His first course is a yellowfin tuna carpaccio after his favourite New York restaurant's offering.[/p][p][b]"Every time we go to that restaurant, that's the one thing I have to have,"[/b] McIlroy said.[/p][p]Wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon were his main course picks with Irish champ, Brussels sprouts, carrots and onion rings from Vidalia, Georgia, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.[/p][p][b]"Then my favourite part of the menu is you get access to the wonderful wine cellar at Augusta National,"[/b] McIlroy said.[/p][embed guid="572a1d83-9b69-4e68-a06b-a079b4980a19" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2034286628525547636?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]In addition to champagne, McIlroy will have a 2022 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet.[/p][p]"It's the first-ever white wine that I actually liked," he said. "To be able to serve that is something that's sort of important to me."[/p][p]There's also a 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild - "That's the wine that I drank the night that I won the Masters" - and a 1989 Chateau D'Yquem dessert wine that he called "liquid gold."[/p][p][b]"It would be pretty presumptuous to have a menu in your head before you actually win the tournament," [/b]McIlroy said.[b] "But I always thought about: If I win the Masters one day, what would I want it to look like? What would I like to serve?[/b][/p][p][b]"I tried to be pretty thoughtful with it, tried to incorporate some of the things that I like and some little personal touches along the way, but at the same time trying to put together a good enough menu that everybody would enjoy as well."[/b][/p]