How Masters legend Rory McIlroy’s behind-the-scenes habits can help Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton

Rory McIlroy’s back-to-back Masters triumph will forever be an iconic golf moment where his heart rate tells the story as well as his swing.

The Grand Slam champion secured back-to-back victories at Augusta to set the tone for other sporting elites looking to achieve glory.

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The Northern Irishman joined Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only players to don a Green Jacket two years in a row.

And the data showed how McIlroy controlled his body at the most high-pressure moment of the tournament.

The World No.2 is among the investors in health company WHOOP alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and sports their device on his wrist.

On the final hole at Augusta, the 36-year-old’s heart rate spiked to 135 BPM after his tee shot found the trees.

It then dropped to 121 BPM on the recovery shot, and finally recorded just 105 BPM on the winning Masters putt.

Greg Grosicki, Staff Scientist at WHOOP, told talkSPORT.com: “Rory woke up with green WHOOP recoveries every single day of the Masters, averaging 87 per cent, and that’s not a coincidence, it’s the payoff of preparation.

“Our own research published last year looked at 389 professional golfers across more than 500 competitive events and more than 35,000 nights of data.

“We found that WHOOP recovery is a significant predictor of golf performance: a 10-percentage-point increase in recovery correlated with 2 strokes better play across a tournament.

“At 87 per cent all week, Rory walked onto that tee with his physiology quietly doing the work.”

McIlroy skipped the RBC Heritage last week, which comes as little surprise considering his wild post-Masters win celebrations.

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McIlroy’s ‘WHOOP’ data reveals epic Masters celebrations

McIlroy’s ‘recovery rate’ was just seven per cent on the Monday after Augusta, having been at 94 and 87 per cent on the two days before.

WHOOP staff scientist Grosicki added: “It’s not surprising at all – Rory is a human being, after all.

“The best in the world know how to focus when it counts, and fully disconnect, celebrate, and be present with family and friends when the work is done.

“That’s a key part of what makes them great.”

McIlroy’s triumph will now serve as the perfect template for Ronaldo during his bid to win the World Cup with Portugal this summer.

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AFP

The data from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s watch at Euro 2024 showed he entered a flow state – a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity – during his country’s penalty shootout victory over Slovenia.

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has also been pictured wearing WHOOP prior to the Scuderia’s official collaboration with the fitness brand.

‘These principles apply to all of the best’

Speaking about the tips and tricks that McIlroy used, Grosicki said: “Of course, these principles apply to all of the best athletes in the world – Ronaldo, the Ferrari race team, and Tadej Pogacar.

“Same physiology, same feedback loop, same commitment and ability to show up when it counts.

“But honestly, what really excited me is that the exact same principles that can be the difference between winning and losing the Masters can help people all over the world show up as better parents and spouses, better friends, and live longer, healthier lives.”