CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It`s been just over a month since Rory McIlroy`s knees buckled under the weight of a childhood dream finally achieved.
McIlroy`s victory at the Masters, which completed his career Grand Slam, has created a lasting positive impact that still resonates within the sport. Listen to what the world`s top players have been saying about his accomplishment this week.
Justin Thomas said watching McIlroy`s win was a clear reminder of his own strong desire for that achievement, stirring both motivation and a touch of jealousy. Scottie Scheffler expressed awe at the extensive effort McIlroy has dedicated throughout his career to secure all four major titles. Jordan Spieth, who is just one PGA Championship away from his own career Grand Slam, found the victory inspiring.
“You could tell it was a harder win — most of the time he makes it look a lot easier,” Spieth commented. “So that obviously was on the forefront of his mind. Something like that has not been done by many people, and there`s a reason why.”
“I think it`s been a very difficult hurdle to overcome, and you could see his emotion towards the end,” Jon Rahm observed. “He`s had so many chances. It`s just, it`s never easy. It`s very difficult. I would not be one bit surprised if this lifted a weight off his shoulders that could get him going on another run.”
Adding to the excitement is the fact that McIlroy`s first major championship since conquering the career Grand Slam is being held at Quail Hollow Country Club. This is a course where he has enjoyed remarkable success over the years, essentially turning it into his personal victory ground with four previous wins, which makes him the clear favorite heading into this week`s tournament.
Yet, as quickly as observers, including Rahm, are ready to push his story forward – asking “How many majors can he win now?” – and describe McIlroy as freed from pressure after finally catching his “white whale,” it is McIlroy himself who seems inclined to slow down, to simply enjoy the moment a little longer and appreciate it for what he believes it might be.
“I still want to create a lot of other highlights and high points, but I`m not sure if any other win will live up to what happened a few weeks ago,” McIlroy stated. “I`m still going to set myself goals. I`m still going to try to achieve certain things. But I sit here knowing that that very well could be the highlight of my career.”
And, truly, how could it not be?
The manner in which McIlroy finally claimed the elusive green jacket – demonstrating his vulnerabilities, immense talent, and sheer resilience over 72 demanding holes, followed by a celebration that felt less like triumphant ecstasy and more like a profound, emotional release of relief – culminated in a moment destined to be etched in history. It is a moment McIlroy himself wants to remember through his own personal experience, not just as a video clip repeatedly shown for years to come.
“I`ve tried not to watch it a lot because I want to remember the feelings,” McIlroy explained. “But anytime I have, I well up. I still feel like I want to cry. I`ve never felt a release like that before, and I might never feel a release like that again. That could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and it was a very cool moment.”
Hearing McIlroy speak recently prompts one to consider if his realization that the 2025 Masters could be his defining career moment, and the profound experience of that feeling, suggests not a newfound freedom to relentlessly pursue more majors, but rather that he has found something professional athletes are typically trained to avoid: satisfaction.
“I have achieved everything that I`ve wanted — I`ve done everything I`ve wanted to do in the game,” he declared. “I dreamed as a child of becoming the best player in the world and winning all the majors. I`ve done that. Everything beyond this, for however long I decide to play the game competitively, is a bonus.”
Winning a Masters to end his long major championship drought and simultaneously complete the career Grand Slam provided a perfect conclusion to the dominant storyline surrounding him for years. It was a dual achievement that felt both destined to happen and incredibly difficult to pull off. Therefore, it appears McIlroy has gained not only satisfaction and fulfillment but also significant perspective. The destination was undoubtedly worth the challenging journey, but that didn`t lessen the effort required.
“I think everyone saw how hard having a north star is and being able to get over the line,” McIlroy said, referring to his focused pursuit. “I feel like I sort of burdened myself with the career Grand Slam stuff, and I want to enjoy this.”
In the past, McIlroy has mentioned his aspirations to be considered the greatest European player ever (only two others from Europe have won more majors than he has) and his desire to be part of a victorious Ryder Cup team on foreign soil (this year`s event at Bethpage Black offers that chance). However, these goals now seem secondary to what he accomplished at Augusta this year. For a player whose consistency at the top level is arguably his most impressive characteristic, simply accumulating the highest number of wins or majors doesn`t seem to be his ultimate priority.
“I`ve always said I`m never going to put a number on it. The numbers tell one story, but it`s not — mightn`t be the full story,” he commented. “I want to enjoy what I`ve achieved, and I want to enjoy the last decade or whatever of my career.”
At 36 years old, it`s easy to forget that McIlroy has been a professional golfer for 18 years. The long pursuit of the Masters title occupied such a central place in his career narrative that, now that it`s achieved, he seems to be suggesting he is entering a different phase. This new stage will also bring questions about how much longer he intends to compete at the highest level.
For instance, McIlroy has already stated he will not play on the Champions Tour and believes something would have gone significantly wrong in his career if he felt he needed to compete professionally at age 50. This shift is also evident in the changes he is making to his schedule: playing more tournaments internationally, reducing his overall number of events, and committing to global competitions such as last year`s Irish Open and upcoming Australian Opens at prestigious courses like Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. Furthermore, he recently expressed a reduced interest in the final outcome of the LIV-PGA Tour negotiations.
Nevertheless, when it comes to playing golf in this new landscape, McIlroy – who is undeniably performing at an elite level currently – insists that his fundamental attitude or competitive approach will remain unchanged.
On Thursday morning, he will walk to the first tee of a tournament and begin his pursuit of a victory, a routine he has followed hundreds of times. Nothing that he has accomplished before will alter what he is striving for in the present moment. Perhaps he will feel a sense of lightness, perhaps he will not place as much pressure on his performance, or perhaps he will even surprise himself if he finds himself in contention on Sunday, feeling a degree of the same competitive intensity he experienced just five Sundays ago.
It`s not that McIlroy`s competitive spirit will be diminished in any way now. Rather, as he stands atop the metaphorical mountain that took nearly 11 years to climb, McIlroy is communicating that with a Masters title and a career Grand Slam now secured on his resume, he has achieved his personal version of golfing fulfillment, or nirvana.
“It`s everything I thought it would be,” McIlroy concluded.
Benedict Kingsley