4 days Ago By Mark Whiley
Rory McIlroy has put two Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and his other golf rivals on notice after finally ending his quest for Masters glory. McIlroy threatened to throw away a five-shot lead during an epic final round at Augusta National before making a birdie on the first extra hole to beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff. The nerve-wracking victory means he is just the sixth player to have won all four men’s major championships and five in total.
Still only 35, McIlroy has plenty more golf left in the tank, and few would bet against him adding to his tally of major titles. He has three more chances this season at the PGA Championship, US Open and The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland. World No.
1 Scheffler and Schauffele, the winner of two majors last year, will be among McIlroy’s biggest rivals at those events. But after finally getting his hands on a fifth major after an 11-year wait, McIlroy believes he could be even stronger going forward, declaring: “It's going to free me up.” Proudly wearing his Green Jacket, he told BBC NI: “It’s be a long-time coming.
It’s been over 10 years since I won a major championship. Getting the Masters, the career Grand Slam, all that out of the way, I think I will play with a lot more freedom. I can’t wait to go back to Portrush in July with this in tow.
” McIlroy will be confident ahead of golf’s next major, and not just because of his Masters triumph. May’s PGA Championship will be played at Quail Hollow, where he has already won four PGA Tour titles. He missed the cut when the US Open was last held at this year’s venue of Oakmont in 2016, but has recorded six straight top 10s in the event and was second in both 2023 and 2024.
Meanwhile, McIlroy once set the course record of 61 as a 16-year-old amateur at Royal Portrush. Former Europe Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is among those who believe McIlroy will rack up more major titles, and soon. He told the Golf Channel: “I think it’s a different Rory.
I think it’s an evolution of Rory. “There is mental resilience there that might not have been there. He’s got strategies, he digs deep, and he can win when he’s not right on it.
He’s on a path to maybe win more. “Now that he’s climbed Everest, does he lose a little bit? When you reach something you’ve desired so much, you kind of soften, but I don’t think so. I think he’s going to keep going.
“I’ve said if he’ll win one major, he’ll win three or four. I don’t think he’s done winning majors this year. He’s got some great chances to add to it.
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