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Rory McIlroy's sports psychologist Bob Rotella says it was "part of the game plan" to not engage with playing partner Bryson DeChambeau during the final round of the Masters.
McIlroy, 35, achieved golf's career Grand Slam on Sunday with his first victory at Augusta.
American DeChambeau, who narrowly beat McIlroy to win last year's US Open, started the day two shots behind his partner.
He briefly led on Sunday after a birdie on the second coupled with McIlroy's double bogey on the first but eventually finished tied for fifth.
DeChambeau, who plays on the PGA Tour's rival LIV Golf, was asked how McIlroy was feeling after he signed his scorecard and replied: "No idea. Didn't talk to me once all day."
Pressed further on whether he had tried to initiate conversation during the round, he added: "He wouldn't talk to me."
Speaking to Radio 4's Today, Rotella said: "That didn't have anything to do with Bryson. That was just the game plan all week and we wanted to get lost in it.
"We didn't want to pay attention to what anyone else was scoring, or shooting, or swinging or how far they were hitting it – we just wanted Rory to play his game.
"The point is, if you believe you're going to win, just play your game and assume that if you do that anywhere near the way you're capable of, then you will end up number one."
Australian golfer Min Woo Lee, ranked 25th in the world, also played down the significance of playing partners not talking to one another during a round.
"When you play in two-ball pairings, you move so quick you can't talk, and plus they are in the last group. Tension. Not a big deal," he posted on social media.
Northern Ireland's McIlroy beat England's Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off, after a dramatic final round that saw him blow a four-shot lead at one stage and miss a par putt on the 18th to win in regulation.
"If you watched Rory, he was very locked into his own world. It's just you and the golf course and your caddie," said Rotella.
"You get lost in this world that you've made up, and play the game you love. I think he did a beautiful job of that all day. He did so many things to bounce back time after time."
Part of their strategy involved McIlroy's yardage book, which he could be seen looking at many times throughout his round.
The book usually includes maps or diagrams of each hole on the course, but Rotella said it also included notes of their chats.
"We would have a chat every day before the round, and he would make some notes, and every couple of holes, he would take a look around to remind yourself. That's what he was looking at," he added.
Explaining the psychology further, Rotella said that after a disappointment a player should aim to make the "next shot your best shot".
"We begin with the idea that golf, by design, is a game of mistakes, and if you love golf, you have to love the mistakes," he said.
"You have to remind them that other players are playing the same game, and they will also all make mistakes.
"The second part is understanding that you are a human being, you're going to make mistakes. Human beings have a free will, and that means we get to choose how we think and respond to all the crazy things that happen to us on the golf course and in life."
After his triumph, McIlroy said that finally completing the career Grand Slam will "free him up" for more success and Rotella echoed those sentiments.
Having won the US Open, The Open and two US PGA Championships by the end of 2014, McIlroy has completed the full set of major championships at the 11th attempt.
Rotella said that winning the Masters would take a "burden off his back", adding: "My guess is that he will go on and win quite a few more, I think he's thinking of having a multiple win season."
The next major is the US PGA at Quail Hollow in May and is followed by June's US Open, before The Open at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland in July.
As well as the Masters, McIlroy has won the Players Championship and Pebble Beach Pro-Am title since February.
Rotella said "it's going to be a lot of fun to see how many more he can win".
"His year is off to great start, now he's got a chance to have the greatest year he's ever had. He's getting tough mentally and emotionally, and that's such a big part of it - you've got to have will that's like steel."
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McIlroy, 35, achieved golf's career Grand Slam on Sunday with his first victory at Augusta.
American DeChambeau, who narrowly beat McIlroy to win last year's US Open, started the day two shots behind his partner.
He briefly led on Sunday after a birdie on the second coupled with McIlroy's double bogey on the first but eventually finished tied for fifth.
DeChambeau, who plays on the PGA Tour's rival LIV Golf, was asked how McIlroy was feeling after he signed his scorecard and replied: "No idea. Didn't talk to me once all day."
Pressed further on whether he had tried to initiate conversation during the round, he added: "He wouldn't talk to me."
Speaking to Radio 4's Today, Rotella said: "That didn't have anything to do with Bryson. That was just the game plan all week and we wanted to get lost in it.
"We didn't want to pay attention to what anyone else was scoring, or shooting, or swinging or how far they were hitting it – we just wanted Rory to play his game.
"The point is, if you believe you're going to win, just play your game and assume that if you do that anywhere near the way you're capable of, then you will end up number one."
Australian golfer Min Woo Lee, ranked 25th in the world, also played down the significance of playing partners not talking to one another during a round.
"When you play in two-ball pairings, you move so quick you can't talk, and plus they are in the last group. Tension. Not a big deal," he posted on social media.
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Secret of McIlroy's yardage book
Northern Ireland's McIlroy beat England's Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off, after a dramatic final round that saw him blow a four-shot lead at one stage and miss a par putt on the 18th to win in regulation.
"If you watched Rory, he was very locked into his own world. It's just you and the golf course and your caddie," said Rotella.
"You get lost in this world that you've made up, and play the game you love. I think he did a beautiful job of that all day. He did so many things to bounce back time after time."
Part of their strategy involved McIlroy's yardage book, which he could be seen looking at many times throughout his round.
The book usually includes maps or diagrams of each hole on the course, but Rotella said it also included notes of their chats.
"We would have a chat every day before the round, and he would make some notes, and every couple of holes, he would take a look around to remind yourself. That's what he was looking at," he added.
Explaining the psychology further, Rotella said that after a disappointment a player should aim to make the "next shot your best shot".
"We begin with the idea that golf, by design, is a game of mistakes, and if you love golf, you have to love the mistakes," he said.
"You have to remind them that other players are playing the same game, and they will also all make mistakes.
"The second part is understanding that you are a human being, you're going to make mistakes. Human beings have a free will, and that means we get to choose how we think and respond to all the crazy things that happen to us on the golf course and in life."
Masters win 'will take a burden off his back'
After his triumph, McIlroy said that finally completing the career Grand Slam will "free him up" for more success and Rotella echoed those sentiments.
Having won the US Open, The Open and two US PGA Championships by the end of 2014, McIlroy has completed the full set of major championships at the 11th attempt.
Rotella said that winning the Masters would take a "burden off his back", adding: "My guess is that he will go on and win quite a few more, I think he's thinking of having a multiple win season."
The next major is the US PGA at Quail Hollow in May and is followed by June's US Open, before The Open at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland in July.
As well as the Masters, McIlroy has won the Players Championship and Pebble Beach Pro-Am title since February.
Rotella said "it's going to be a lot of fun to see how many more he can win".
"His year is off to great start, now he's got a chance to have the greatest year he's ever had. He's getting tough mentally and emotionally, and that's such a big part of it - you've got to have will that's like steel."
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