Rory McIlroy is set to be the main focus in the run-up to the Masters, as the Northern Irish golfer aims for his first win at Augusta. McIlroy's last major victory was at the 2014 US PGA Championship, and as he looks to overcome his struggles at the Masters, McIlroy is also striving to become the sixth golfer to achieve a career Grand Slam at the tournament. McIlroy infamously lost a final-round lead at the Masters in 2011 and came second to world No.1 Scottie Scheffler three years ago. Nevertheless, he has had a strong start to 2025, winning on the PGA Tour at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Players Championship. Here, we examine the latest news surrounding McIlroy as he approaches one of the most significant months of his career so far. Injury concern McIlroy finished tied-fifth at the Houston Open on Sunday after an impressive six under par final round of 64. However, the 35-year-old later revealed that his elbow is "bothering" him, reports the Express. With just over a week until the action in Georgia begins, there is growing concern that the four-time major winner may not be at his best coming into the prestigious event. "My right elbow has been bothering me a little bit so I'll maybe just get some treatment on that and make sure that is OK going into Augusta," he told the Golf Channel. "I've got my coach Michael Bannon coming in [on Monday]. We'll do some work and make sure everything is in good shape for a week's time." Matching Tiger Woods McIlroy has joined an elite club, becoming only the second golfer after Tiger Woods to surpass £77million ($100m) in career earnings on the PGA Tour. His tie for fifth place in Houston added £262,000 ($338,000) to his impressive tally. With 28 wins from 262 events since his debut in 2010, McIlroy's achievement mirrors that of Woods, who hit the $100m mark back in 2012 and now boasts earnings of £93.1m ($120m) with 82 victories from 378 events. Phil Mickelson is third on the all-time money list with £75.3m ($97m), followed by Dustin Johnson with £59m ($76m), both of whom have since moved to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. Scottie Scheffler completes the top five with £58m ($75m). Mentality questioned Ahead of the Masters, McIlroy faces not just the competition but also a mental hurdle, according to three-time champion Sir Nick Faldo. "I think there's only Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw that have gone 11 years between two majors in about the last 40 years," Faldo told Sky Sports. "He [McIlroy] has to forget that and he's got to rewrite some of those things. He's got to deal with that mental battle. He knows he's got it physically and technically, just about. "He's 35, playing great. Can he just go to Augusta and absolutely clear all the pictures out from the past? It's way easier said than done, but he could do it and I've got a feeling he might. "Physical, we can just about see. You can see how strong somebody is, but you can't see an injury. Technically, we can just about see it – you see the swing and what have you. Mental, we can't see it and that's purely hidden to the individual. "For Rory? Physically, he's got it. Technically, he's got it. Where is he mentally? That is the key. He has got the battle of trying to delete 10 years of this gap and saying to us 'I'm actually the best player in the world right now'. Because, let's face it, he is."