A Freed-Up Rory McIlroy is a Nightmare for the Rest of Golf

Before his Masters win on Sunday, Rory McIlroy had played in 12 major championships since the start of 2022. In those starts, he missed just two cuts, finished T-22 or better in every other event, and finished inside the top 10 eight times: 2nd (Masters 2022), 8th (PGA Championship 2022), T-5 (U.S. Open 2022), 3rd (Open 2022), T-7 (PGA Championship 2023), 2nd (U.S. Open 2023), T-6 (Open 2023), and 2nd (U.S. Open 2024).

Imagine how many of those would’ve been wins if the weight of the world wasn’t on his shoulders. If I had to guess, he would’ve won the 2022 Open and 2023 and 2024 U.S. Opens with his eyes closed. I feel like those are close to no-brainers.

But now that he’s finally won his fifth and completed the Career Grand Slam, McIlroy has nothing else to prove. The monkey is off his back and now he can just go after every single major that comes his way.

That thought should terrify the rest of the golf world.

We’re about to see an unlocked Rory McIlroy four times a year. The best way to describe that is f***ing awesome.

The next major is the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. If you’re unaware of the Northern Irishman’s history at this particular golf course, let me catch you up.

Photo: Getty Images

Across 12 starts at the annual host of the Truist Championship—formally known as the Wells Fargo Championship—he’s finished: 1st (2010), MC (2011), 2nd (2012), 10th (2013), 8th (2014), 1st (2015), 4th (2016), 16th (2018), 8th (2019), 1st (2021), 47th (2023), and 1st (2024).

I was gonna say something sarcastic like, “Is that any good?” But, that course history is honestly ridiculous. Tiger Woods at Bay Hill type stuff. Can you pencil him in for a win next month? Probably shouldn’t, but I wouldn’t disagree with you if you did.

A month later he’ll head to Oakmont, one of the toughest challenges in golf. At the 2016 U.S. Open, McIlroy missed the cut there after an opening-round 77. It’s going to be a bomber’s paradise, like most U.S. Opens are, so it’s tough to see him missing the weekend there again.

Then he’ll end the major season back at home in Northern Ireland at Royal Portrush.

Photo: Getty Images

In 2019, McIlroy held onto the steering wheel a little too tight and shot an opening-round 79. A devastating day for the country’s superstar. He did come back and shoot a 65 on Friday, but it wasn’t enough to make it to the weekend. Come July, I expect to see something closer to the 2019 Friday version of McIlroy than that Thursday version.

Time will tell.

But it’s pretty easy to see how McIlroy could win one or two more majors this season.

The weight on his shoulders is gone and now he can just worry about playing the best golf he can. For the rest of golf, that’s a nightmare we can't wait to watch develop.