Following his successful title defense at The Masters, Rory McIlroy is reassessing his major goals, with new opportunities to create golfing history. Having completed the career Grand Slam last year, McIlroy became a back-to-back winner at The Masters with a one-shot victory over world No 1 Scottie Scheffler.
This win leaves him alongside Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players to successfully defend at The Masters. McIlroy's latest victory takes him to six majors, the same number Faldo managed during his career, with Trevino and Mickelson also on that total and tied-12th in the all-time list of victories. A second successive Masters title leaves McIlroy halfway to becoming a double Grand Slam champion. He has had seven top-10 finishes at the US Open since storming to his maiden major title in 2011, including runner-up finishes to Wyndham Clark in 2023 and Bryson DeChambeau the following year.
McIlroy has also impressed at each of the next two Open venues, posting a top-four finish the last time it was held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in 2017 and taking third when St Andrews' Old Course held The 150th Open in 2022. Only Nicklaus and Woods have won all four majors on multiple occasions, winning each at least three times. McIlroy is a long way from that, but a double Grand Slam is a potential target. There is a strong argument to say McIlroy is already Europe's greatest-ever golfer, given he is the only male from the continent to complete the career Grand Slam.
One more major would see McIlroy surpass Faldo as the most successful European golfer in the modern era, matching Harry Vardon's seven titles. McIlroy already has more PGA Tour wins in history than any other European and has won the DP World Tour's Order of Merit four years running.
Another major title would silence any remaining doubters about being the all-time great. Winning any major is tough and going back to back is increasingly rare, but now McIlroy can set his own landmark by becoming the first player to win The Masters three years running. All four players to successfully defend the Masters title were unable to follow suit a year later, while Peter Thomson's run of winning The Open in 1954, 1955, and 1956 saw him become the last male to win the same major in three consecutive years. Should McIlroy add to his major tally at the PGA Championship next month at Aronimink Golf Club, then speculation over a possible Calendar Slam will gather more momentum.
Next year marks the centenary edition of the Ryder Cup, where McIlroy will likely play an integral role in Team Europe's push for a third consecutive victory over the United States. His legacy - like captain Donald - in the Ryder Cup is already confirmed, with McIlroy set for multiple more appearances in the years ahead and destined to be captain at some stage.