Rory McIlroy suffered via 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’s going to he obtain subsequent?
Dame Laura Davies mentioned within the rapid 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, making an attempt to get the Grand Slam.”
McIlroy, himself, talked of the burden that he had felt throughout his main winless streak and reduction appeared to one of many overriding feelings that got here via 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 mentioned. “I believe we’ll begin to see the Rory McIlroy we all the time knew was in there however for the final 11 years has struggled to come back out.”
So what might McIlroy go on to attain? And is it a sensible prospect for him to comply with up a profession Grand Slam by profitable 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 time returns to Royal Portrush and Northern Eire – McIlroy shall be hotly fancied to win each.
“You possibly can’t win all 4 majors in a yr if you have not received the primary one,” McIlroy informed Sky Sports activities.
“The following main is at Quail Hole, someplace I’ve beloved for essentially 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 terrific begin, clearly, and I can not wait to maintain it going.”
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 accomplished profitable majors this yr”.
“I believe it is a totally different Rory, an evolution of Rory,” McGinley mentioned 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 is not proper on it. He is on a path to perhaps win extra.
“Now that he is climbed Everest, does he lose just a little bit? If you attain one thing you have desired a lot, you type of soften, however I do not suppose so. I believe he will hold going.
“I’ve mentioned if he’ll win one main, he’ll win three or 4. I do not suppose he is accomplished profitable majors this yr. He is bought some nice possibilities so as to add to it.”
Davies: ‘No query’ Rory will win PGA Championship
Upon ending his look forward to a Inexperienced Jacket, McIlroy himself questioned what storyline would command the headlines through 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 sport to a brand new calibre of domination. For Dame Laura Davies, that begins on the PGA Championship.
“He’ll win. I completely don’t have any query about it,” mentioned Davies on the Sky Sports activities Golf podcast. “He’ll be essentially the most light-hearted. He’ll 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. The whole lot else from this level onwards is simple.
“Belief me. It is simply the way in which it will be. On the Open, essentially, I do not learn 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.”
Such has turn out to be of the expectations surrounding one of many trendy {golfing} greats that an unthinkable same-season Grand Slam has been thrown into the pondering. Dare he dream of such a feat?
“I mentioned he’ll by no means play underneath that a lot strain once more that he did yesterday but when he really did that (win the primary three majors of the yr), I do not learn about whether or not he will 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 will occur. The following 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 degree as we had yesterday.”
Dougherty: Expectations are increased
McIlroy soared to PGA Championship victory again in each 2012 and 2014 amongst seven high 10 finishes round Quail Hole. He returns armed with the momentum of success at The Gamers Championship and now Augusta.
“I’ve all the time 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,” mentioned Sky Sports activities Golf’s Dougherty.
“Now he is damaged via that barrier, I’ve a a lot, a lot increased expectation for what he’ll do within the majors as a result of I assumed it was simply such a large 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 seek out out.
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