McIlroy's Next Major Challenge: What's in Store After Masters Victory

Following his successful title defense at The Masters, Rory McIlroy has reassessed his major goals, with new opportunities to create golfing history. A year after securing Grand Slam glory at Augusta National, McIlroy became a back-to-back winner at The Masters, achieving a gripping one-shot victory over world No 1 Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy is now one of the select few to have successfully defended their title at The Masters, joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. The Northern Irishman's latest victory leaves him with six major titles, tying him with Faldo, Phil Mickelson, and Lee Trevino. McIlroy has expressed his desire to achieve more, stating, "I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realized it wasn't. It's just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve." Potential targets for McIlroy include becoming a double Grand Slam champion, having already won the PGA Championship twice. He has also had seven top-10 finishes at the US Open and has impressed at upcoming Open venues, including Royal Birkdale Golf Club and St Andrews' Old Course. With only Nicklaus and Woods having won all four majors on multiple occasions, McIlroy has a long way to go but is on track to achieve great things. A strong argument can be made that McIlroy is already Europe's greatest-ever golfer, given his career Grand Slam and numerous other accolades. One more major victory would see him surpass Faldo as the most successful European golfer in the modern era. McIlroy's latest success has sparked speculation about his potential to win the Calendar Slam, with the PGA Championship next month providing an opportunity to add to his major tally. The centenary edition of the Ryder Cup is also on the horizon, where McIlroy will likely play a key role in Team Europe's push for a third consecutive victory. His legacy in the Ryder Cup is already confirmed, with McIlroy set for multiple appearances in the years ahead and destined to be captain at some stage. Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes McIlroy's game will age well, stating, "He's got a game that will age because as powerful as he is now, one of the biggest hitters in the game, when he does lose a bit of age and gets to about 40 years old and he comes off a little bit, he'll still be one of the biggest hitters." McIlroy's last victory has pulled him closer to Scheffler in the battle to be world No 1, with McIlroy having spent a combined 122 weeks at world No 1 across nine different stints in his career. Butch Harmon believes McIlroy is the best player in the world, stating, "I know Scottie Scheffler is number one in the world, but to me Rory McIlroy is the best player in the world." With the PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open still to come, McIlroy is working towards new major targets, saying, "I have the opportunity to do them all. I've won two Masters, two PGAs, a chance to win two Opens, two US Opens."