CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s only been more than a month since Rory McIlroy’s knees were buckled under the weight of a childhood dream, when he finally achieved it.
Mashroy’s victory at Master and the completion of his career Grand Slam has created an afterglow that has not yet disappeared from the consciousness of the sport. Listen to what the world’s best player said about his achievement this week.
Justin Thomas said seeing McIlroy was a feat he wanted for himself, prompting a combination of drive and jealousy. Scotty Scheffler was surprised by the work McIlroy has entered throughout his career to win all four majors. Jordans Piece, a PGA championship that left his own career grand slam, called it inspiration.
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“You could say it was a difficult victory — most of the time, he makes it look much easier,” Spieth said. “It was clearly at the forefront of his mind. That’s not done by many people, and for a reason.”
“I think it was a very difficult hurdle to overcome, and you could see his emotions towards the end,” John Rahm said. “He had so many opportunities. It’s just that it’s not easy. It’s very difficult. It wouldn’t be a bit surprising if this lifts the weight off his shoulder, which could make him a different run.”
Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that McIlroy’s first major since conquering the career grand slam was held at the Quazul Hollow Country Club, the venue that has been his personal trophy vending machine for many years (he has won four times).
Still, like all of us, including Rahm, we are ready to move his story to the next frontier – “How many majors can he win now?” – and it is McIlroy himself who wants to slow things down, who is freed after catching his white whale.
“I still want to create a lot of other highlights and high points, but I don’t know if other wins will continue on to what happened a few weeks ago,” McIlroy said. “I’m still going to set my own goals. I’m still trying to achieve certain things. But I’m sitting here knowing it’s very likely to be the highlight of my career.”
Why isn’t that?
The way McIlroy finally secured an elusive green jacket, the way he showed his flaws, talent and resilience across 72 tough holes, and the way he celebrated – a sigh of emphasised ecstasy and emotional relief. It all became a moment of history. This is a moment when McIlroy himself wants to remember with his own eyes and body, not as part of a video clip he has played for years to come.
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Recreating Rory McIlroy’s wild round when he finally won the Master in the playoffs
Rory McIlroy has been waiting for his fifth major title for a long time, completing his career grand slam in a dramatic playoff victory over Justin Rose at Augusta.
“I tried not to look at it much because I wanted to remember the emotions,” McIlroy said. “But whenever I have it, I’m fine. I still want to cry. I’ve never felt such a release before and I might never feel that kind of release again. It was once in a lifetime and it was a really cool moment.”
Hearing McIlroy speaks Wednesday means that he is aware, the master of 2025 could be his defining moment, that feeling, does not mean that McIlroy will continue to pursue more majors with new freedoms, but rather that he has found what professional athletes are taught almost always to avoid.
“I accomplished everything I wanted – I did everything I wanted in the game,” he said. “As a kid, I dreamed of becoming the best player in the world and getting all the majors, and I did that.
Ending his major droughts and earning a master to complete his career, Grand Slam placed a neatly tied bow in the story that surrounded him. It was 2 to 1, and the equivalent was determined in advance, so I felt it was impossible. So it’s not only satisfaction and satisfaction, but also perspective, that McIlroy appears to have found. The destination was worth a painstaking trip, but it wasn’t too taxable.
“I think we’ve seen everyone get through the line by having a North Star,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I’ve put a burden on myself with the career grand slam stuff and I want to enjoy this.”
In the past, McIlroy said he wanted to be considered the best European player to play the game (only the other two Europeans have more majors than him). For players like McIlroy, whose most impressive feature at the top of the game, his longevity, the amount of victory or major seems to be a priority.
“I’ve always said I’m not going to put numbers in it. The numbers tell one story, but it’s not – it may not be a perfect story,” he said. “I want to enjoy what I have achieved, and I want to enjoy the last decade and anything in my career.”
At age 36, it’s easy to forget that McIlroy has been a professional for 18 years. The lack of a master took up so much space in his story that he appears to hint at entering another stage of his career.
McIlroy has already said that something is grossly wrong, for example, if he doesn’t play Champions Tour golf and feels he has to compete at age 50. You can also see it in the way he shifted his schedule, played more tournaments overseas, reduced overall tournaments, and committed to international events such as last year’s Irish Open and the two Australian Opens at Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. Recently, he also said he doesn’t care anymore where professional golf will end when it comes to negotiations for the LIV-PGA Tour.
But when it comes to this new reality of golf, McIlroy, who now plays the best golfer in the world, claims he will not change his attitude or approach.
Thursday morning he walks to the first tee of the tournament and begins his quest for victory as he has done hundreds of times. As for what he did before, it doesn’t change what he is trying to achieve. He probably feels light. Perhaps he puts too much pressure on his game or perhaps he will surprise himself on Sunday if he finds out he is on the hunt.
McIlroy says that on his resume he found a version of the Golf Nirvana, with Master and Career Grand Slam, not now diluted in any way, but rather sitting on the top of the mountain, which took him nearly 11 years to climb.
“That’s all I thought it was,” McIlroy said.
