World No.2 Rory McIlroy Insists He Still Has More to Achieve Despite Completing Golf’s Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy will enter the Masters Tournament next week as the defending champion, having won the 2025 edition through a playoff round.

World No.2 Rory McIlroy Insists He Still Has More to Achieve Despite Completing Golf’s Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy (Image via X/@NUCLRGOLF)

Rory McIlroy finally completed the career grand slam last year as he won the Masters Tournament. Ahead of his title defense this year, the World No.2 revealed that he still has more to achieve in his career despite winning all the 4 majors.

Until the 2025 edition, the Northern Irish golfer had a tough time at the Augusta National. After a dramatic collapse in the final round of the 2011 edition, a young McIlroy would capture the U.S. Open later that year.

In 2012, he won the PGA Championship at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. In 2014, he won two majors as he won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and the PGA Championship again at the Valhalla course.

Since then, there have been several talks about him winning the Masters Tournament and completing the career grand slam. He would finish T5 in the 2018 and 2020 editions and had to settle for a runner-up place in the 2022 tournament.

Last year, he finally got his hands on the green jacket. Despite a slip-up in the final round, he overcame Justin Rose in the playoff round to capture his maiden Masters title.

This year, McIlroy will enter the Augusta National Golf Club as the defending champion. Ahead of this major event, he spoke with Ewan Murray of The Guardian and expressed that he still wants to win more things in his career.

I still want to achieve things, I still want to win things. This isn’t the end.

Rory McIlroy told Ewan Murray of The Guardian

The triumph in 2025 saw the golfer end an 11-year major championship drought. Before this win, he had some close calls at the U.S. Open, finishing as the runner-up to Wyndham Clark (in 2023) and Bryson DeChambeau (in 2024). On both occasions, he missed out on the title by one stroke.

Rory McIlroy believes he will not have the same pressure in majors following 2025 Masters triumph

Amid intense pressure last year, Rory McIlroy finally got the job done at the Augusta National by winning the Masters Tournament. The 5-time major champion believes that he will not have the same amount of pressure going into the majors following the Masters Tournament victory last year.

Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy (Image via Imago)

The PGA Championship triumph in 2014 was his 4th major title in the span of 3 years. At that moment, it seemed he would be the next golfer to cross the double-digit mark in major wins.

However, the former World No.1 went on a huge winless run in the majors. He would come close on a few occasions but failed to get over the line.

With each loss, the pressure mounted on McIlroy. With the win last year, he broke a long drought and claimed his 5th major title and became just the 6th player in men’s golf history to win all 4 major championships.

I don’t think they will feel any different now. There will always be the intensity there. Maybe not the pressure but I will still have the intensity and work the same way towards them.

Rory McIlroy said as per Ewan Murray of The Guardian

Following the Masters Tournament win, he did suffer a slight dip in form. He would finish T47 at the PGA Championship and missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open before the U.S. Open.

He bounced back a little at the U.S. Open in June with a T19 finish before wrapping up the 2025 major season with a T7 finish at the Open Championship in front of home fans at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

So far, he has had a mixed season in 2026. A T3 finish at the Hero Dubai Invitational was followed by a T33 finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. In his title defense at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he finished T14.

He then finished as the runner-up at the Genesis Invitational before withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finishing T46 at The Players Championship. He will be hoping to become just the 4th golfer after Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to repeat as Masters Tournament champion.

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