A month on from winning a second Masters and Rory McIlroy is drawing on that "joyful feeling" as he aims to win a third PGA Championship at the Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia.
McIlroy, champion in 2012 and 2014, will start his campaign on the back nine at 1.40pm Irish time on Thursday, alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth.
He will, however, hope that the discomfort in his right foot after he had removed the nail on his little toe earlier this week won't be an issue, this after he abandoned Tuesday's practice round after only three holes.
That said, the Co Down man was reportedly in good spirits as he left the course.
Speaking earlier on Tuesday to RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen, McIlroy was still basking in the afterglow of that second green jacket, saying: "Major championship wins don't come along that often but a little more often for me in the last couple of years than the previous decade.
"The further I get on in my career the more I realise how special these moments are. It's been a really good three weeks of practice, getting back in to playing competitively. I did some practice at my home yesterday and I feel good about where my game is."
Winning is a habit and the now six-time Major winner is certainly embracing that winning feeling.
"I've got accustomed to that joyful feeling at the end of a lot of golf tournaments recently which is a lovely place to be," he added.
"The game has been good to me over the last 14 months. I'd say I did hit a bit of a lull over that Covid period in '20 and '21. But if you look at my game, my results and my consistency from 2022 through to now, I have been on a nice run and that run culminated with the last couple of Masters."
It was McIlroy's short game, particularly across the first two days at Augusta, that caught the eye the most. But the 37-year-old was keen to stress that having "many aspects of your game working" is what's key in achieving major success, adding the manner in which he again mastered the Augusta course gives him confidence as he strives for more majors.
"Major championship aren't won with statistics or previous results, it's won with grit, determination, and hitting the shots under pressure when you need to," he said.
"There is no real statistic to show you how good you are at that, it's something you have to learn. I went through so many experiences recently of being in those positions and getting more and more comfortable every time I was in those positions.
"Once you start to get over that hump and you get a win, you get another win. It breathes confidence from there. Form is great and it gives you confidence leading into events, but I would say the way I won at Augusta a few weeks ago gives me more confidence about where I'm at and what I can do in these big weeks than say winning two or three events leading up to a major."
And what of the upcoming Aronimink challenge? Does it suits a driver off the tee who carries it a long way?
McIlroy believes it does, but it's not a case a few will have an advantage.
"Everyone hits it long nowadays; everyone can carry over 300 yards," he stated.
"It used to be a talking point ten years ago but the way the game has went and the way every one plays the game, course like this bring more and more people into it. It's harder to separate yourself on a course like this than say a Shinnecock Hills, or an Augusta or a Pinehurst. Driving is one part of it but to separate yourself this week your iron play has to be on; every aspect of your game has to be on.
"Driving is a skill that a lot of people in the field have these days."
