Amanda Balionis Puts Rory McIlroy on Notice Before the Masters

Rory McIlroy enters the 2026 Masters tournament as the reigning champion and one of the favorites to win the event alongside Scottie Scheffler and LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy is working his way back into former following a back injury that forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The grand slam winner suggested his back is in "good shape" ahead of Thursday's first round.

"I feel like my game's in really good shape," he said. "The last time people saw me, I wasn't physically in great shape, had the back issues, and I got through the Players' but certainly wasn't at 100 percent. I've taken the last three weeks to work on things and make sure I'm 100 percent coming in here, which I am."

Amanda Balionis Doubts Rory McIlroy Will Win the Masters in 2026

During a recent podcast appearance, CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis, who is close friends with McIlroy, suggested the five-time major winner would struggle to contend this time around.

“I think, listen, he said it at The Players, right? He felt rusty,” Balionis explained in a March 31, 2026, interview on the “Fairway Rollin'” podcast. “He didn’t look quite himself and he’s not going through the same schedule that he went through last year that led to success."

Balionis suggested the superstitious golfer would have "loved to replicate exactly what I had done last year to try to replicate the same result as last year."

That isn't the case with McIlroy this time around as he was forced to take three weeks off ahead of the Masters due to injury.

Amanda Balionis Worries Back Injury Could Cost Rory McIlroy

While Rory believes he's at 100% ahead of the first major tournament of the year, Balionis has reservations about his chances.

"I don’t know, back issues at Augusta National are tough,” Balionis said. “We’ve seen it with a lot of players. This is a hard place to be wondering at what point am I going to feel that tug in my back?"

“I just don’t think those back things solve themselves like that when you’re a golfer and you have to keep practicing and you have to keep doing the motion that likely caused whatever the thing is," she added.

McIlroy tees off alongside Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell at 10:31 a.m. ET on Thursday morning.

Related: Scottie Scheffler Hit With Harsh Warning Before the Masters