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Rory McIlroy made history at The Masters where, after many painful close calls, he finally secured the Green Jacket and, with it, the career Grand Slam.
It was emotional and frantic final day at Augusta National, where the pendulum swung in various ways for the full six-hour broadcast.
Eventually, McIlroy defeated Justin Rose with a birdie at the first playoff hole and, as you can imagine, the now five-time Major winner was understandably emotional after his two-foot putt dropped in to the centre of the cup.
Now, following on from his historic victory, attention turns to what McIlroy could do next? Will he go on to win more Majors in 2025 and beyond, or will the completion and effort of the career Grand Slam end with him fizzling out?
“It’s a bold claim, but looking at the Major venues for this year, I could see him picking up another,” experienced Sports Psychologist, Gareth Shaw, told Golf Monthly.
“The first thing I saw (with McIlroy at Augusta National) was the rawness and openness. I know the last few months he’s been a bit more cagey with speaking about topics, but I think he came across really raw and really human…
“It seemed that with his US Open loss he was trying to play more strategically and not like himself and the way he usually plays. He was a bit more swashbuckling at the weekend and that is Rory’s game. At the 15th, that was him pulling off the key shot, the most difficult shot, in the most high-pressured moment, and that’s him.”
Following his victory at Augusta National, McIlroy is currently at +4000 (40/1) to win the remaining Majors in 2025, with the PGA Championship taking place at Quail Hollow, the US Open at Oakmont and The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Quail Hollow is a venue where McIlroy has three victories, while Oakmont is a set-up that rewards those who excel off the tee. What’s more, The Open Championship comes from Northern Ireland, meaning home support will be on McIlroy’s side.
“I know we built the career Grand Slam up for so long, but you saw it in his emotions, him letting out on the 18th green and in the following interviews,” explains Shaw.
“I think he won’t stop striving for improvement. Many mentioned his putting a few years ago, so he brought in Brad Faxon. He spoke about his mental approach, so he’s then been on-and-off with Bob Rotella.
“He’s always looking for little changes and tweaks. We saw that already this year with the driver, sticking to what he knows with his older club.
“He is also a player that respects the history of the game, and I think he sees the next goal as maybe overtaking Brooks Koepka in terms of Major titles and becoming the best player of our generation.
Koepka and McIlroy both
“He’s got that mindset, focus and drive and it wouldn’t surprise me if he pushes on following his Major victory, as what he has found out this week is not just his approach to Augusta, but also how he structures his schedule and his rota moving forward to help him perform at his best.”
It’s not just Shaw who believes this, with Rotella, who played a major part in McIlroy’s Augusta National success, also claiming that the 35-year-old will push on to more success in 2025.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Rotella stated that completing the career Grand Slam will “free him (McIlroy) up” for more wins throughout the season, while also claiming The Masters win will take the “burden off his back”.
“My guess is that he will go on and win quite a few more, I think he’s thinking of having a multiple win season.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to see how many more he can win. His year is off to great start, now he’s got a chance to have the greatest year he’s ever had. He’s getting tough mentally and emotionally, and that’s such a big part of it – you’ve got to have will that’s like steel.”
How Will Justin Rose Cope With Another Masters Playoff Heartbreak?
Rose, rightly, received huge plaudits for his actions after The Masters on Sunday, with the Englishman missing out on a Green Jacket for the second time in his career via a playoff.
It now means that Rose has also finished runner-up in his last two Major starts, but his fine performances and close calls can only mean it’s surely a matter of time before another big title lands on the doorstep of the former US Open winner.
“Golf, from a mentality-perspective, is very results-driven but, the more I look at it, they are very process-driven as well,” states Shaw.
“The process element means doing the right things when a player is on the golf course, or when they are working on their golf swing etc. That will impact how they will perform moving forwards as well.
“Although the results may not be what he (Rose) wanted, the process of getting to that point and putting himself in that situation means that one day you are going to get over the line.
“Ultimately, I think that is what will happen with Rose and that’s what just happened with Rory. They’ve concentrated on the processes and done the right things which has got them to the right result. Rose has had a great career and I don’t think he’ll stop here. He’ll keep pushing on.”
