Rory McIlroy suffered by 10 barren years at main tournaments earlier than his beautiful Masters triumph on Sunday clinched a profession Grand Slam – and instantly raised the query of what is going to he obtain subsequent?
Dame Laura Davies stated within the quick aftermath of McIlroy’s Augusta Nationwide win: “He would possibly win 5 or 6 extra majors now as he won’t ever really feel strain like that once more, attempting to get the Grand Slam.”
McIlroy, himself, talked of the burden that he had felt throughout his main winless streak and aid appeared to one of many overriding feelings that got here by in his celebrations on the 18th inexperienced after his play-off win over Justin Rose.
“The monkey is off his again,” Sky Sports activities’ Andrew Coltart stated. “I believe we will begin to see the Rory McIlroy we at all times knew was in there however for the final 11 years has struggled to come back out.”
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Highlights from the ultimate spherical of The Masters at Augusta Nationwide as McIlroy completes the profession Grand Slam after beating Justin Rose in a play-off
So what might McIlroy go on to realize? And is it a sensible prospect for him to observe up a profession Grand Slam by successful a calendar yr one in 2025?
Subsequent month’s PGA Championship is being held at Quail Hole, a course he has received 4 instances on beforehand, on the PGA Tour, whereas the 2025 Open Championship this summer season returns to Royal Portrush and Northern Eire – McIlroy shall be hotly fancied to win each.
“You may’t win all 4 majors in a yr if you have not received the primary one,” McIlroy advised Sky Sports activities.
“The subsequent main is at Quail Hole, someplace I’ve beloved for probably the most a part of my profession, there’s The Open at [Royal] Portrush, the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
“There’s quite a lot of golf left this yr. I’ve gotten off to a fantastic begin, clearly, and I am unable to wait to maintain it going.”
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McIlroy’s greatest pictures from his historic 2025 Masters victory on the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is one other to have lent his backing to the 35-year-old McIlroy, saying “I do not suppose he is achieved successful majors this yr”.
“I believe it is a completely different Rory, an evolution of Rory,” McGinley stated on the Golf Channel.
“There’s psychological resilience there that may not have been there. He is bought methods, he digs deep, and he can win when he isn’t proper on it. He is on a path to perhaps win extra.
“Now that he is climbed Everest, does he lose a bit of bit? Whenever you attain one thing you’ve got desired a lot, you type of soften, however I do not suppose so. I believe he’ll preserve going.
“I’ve stated if he’ll win one main, he’ll win three or 4. I do not suppose he is achieved successful majors this yr. He is bought some nice possibilities so as to add to it.”
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The second Scottie Scheffler positioned the Inexperienced Jacket on McIlroy as he’s topped the 2025 Masters champion
Davies: ‘No query’ Rory will win PGA Championship
Upon ending his anticipate a Inexperienced Jacket, McIlroy himself questioned what storyline would command the headlines throughout the build-up to subsequent yr’s Masters, having been positioned on the forefront of dialogue for over a decade.
With the childhood dream lastly ticked off, he has been backed to raise his recreation to a brand new calibre of domination. For Dame Laura Davies, that begins on the PGA Championship.
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2025 Masters Winner McIlroy sits all the way down to mirror on his victory at Augusta after years of disappointment
“He’ll win. I completely haven’t any query about it,” stated Davies on the Sky Sports activities Golf podcast. “He will be probably the most light-hearted. He will relish each press convention that he does.
“He loves the golf course. He has no fears now as a result of he does not have to consider I am by no means going to get the inexperienced jacket as a result of he is bought it. All the pieces else from this level onwards is straightforward.
“Belief me. It is simply the way in which it is going to be. On the Open, essentially, I do not find out about that one. He had that horrible begin round Royal Port Rush. So whether or not that is going to hamper him spherical there, I do not know.”
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Following the long-awaited Masters triumph for McIlroy, he jokes round that he’s now not the speaking level for subsequent yr’s match
Such has grow to be of the expectations surrounding one of many fashionable {golfing} greats that an unthinkable same-season Grand Slam has been thrown into the considering. Dare he dream of such a feat?
“I stated he’ll by no means play below that a lot strain once more that he did yesterday but when he truly did that (win the primary three majors of the yr), I do not find out about whether or not he’ll have that probability, however then the strain’s again to the extent it was this week,” Davies continued.
“We’re speaking a couple of Grand Slam in a yr and I do not suppose it is going to occur. The subsequent one’s particular. I am not even going to argue about that however I simply suppose if it did occur then the strain is at that very same stage as we had yesterday.”
Dougherty: Expectations are larger
McIlroy soared to PGA Championship victory again in each 2012 and 2014 amongst seven prime 10 finishes round Quail Hole. He returns armed with the momentum of success at The Gamers Championship and now Augusta.
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After successful The Masters at Augusta, McIlroy joked that he is concentrating on the three different majors in 2025
“I’ve at all times had an enormous quantity of religion that he was going to get throughout the road right here. I used to be getting a bit involved,” stated Sky Sports activities Golf’s Dougherty.
“Now he is damaged by that barrier, I’ve a a lot, a lot larger expectation for what he’ll do within the majors as a result of I believed it was simply such an enormous burden and that golf course, I imply, it could not come at a greater time.
“Wind at his again, course he is had success at. PGA, there’s an excellent probability he snaps that one up.”
Did the floodgates to an all-conquering McIlroy simply open? {The golfing} world is about to search out out.
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