Rory McIlroy was overjoyed after winning The Masters in Augusta last month; he was certainly overwhelmed on the 18th green, as he joined the pantheon of golfing greats by completing the Grand Slam, and the world number two has admitted that what followed was a bit of a whirlwind as he came to terms with his newly tailored green jacket.
McIlroy was happy with where his golf game was, arriving up Magnolia Lane in early April, and it all stemmed from hard work, grafting and grinding throughout the off season, while building consistency that has proved fruitful over the past six months.
The world number two from County Down had already won two high-profile PGA Tour events in 2025 before teeing it up at Augusta National, where he made it a perfect trio by adding the Masters to his resume.
"People are talking about the calendar grand slam when I have just won the first one in ten years," said McIlroy, speaking to RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen ahead of this week's next major, the PGA Championship.
"I think the most important thing is that I feel really good about where my golf game is. I worked really hard in the off season last year and I think the fruits of my labour have paid off. Not just this year but last year, winning in Dubai.
"I think that gave me a lot of momentum going into 2025, and I’ve just continued to play a similar level of golf the whole way through the last six months, which is great to see."
Following the madness of it all, McIlroy was happy to get back to work in Philadelphia last week to prepare properly for this week’s US PGA Championship, the second major of the year.
"The three weeks after Augusta was a bit of a whirlwind and I didn’t have a lot of opportunity or time to practice and do the things that I have been doing, but last week was an important week for me.
"I felt, just to get back into my routine, back into my structure. To do the things that I have been doing all year to make sure I can keep this level of play up going forward.
"It was a good prep/practice week. I figured out a few things in my game I need to tweak or improve on a little bit, and I come in here, definitely feeling more comfortable with where I am, compared to a week ago in Philadelphia."
McIlroy may have been joking about even contemplating the calendar grand slam, however, he believes that the benefits of finally getting his first major in ten years, coupled with the fact that he finally landed the final major, will stand to him at the big moments at the top events.
Playing free has been a McIlroy mantra throughout his incredible career, however, there were times over the past few years when the burden of expectation appeared to curtail that particular approach at the majors.
But now, McIlroy expects that he will be able to plot that particular path, starting at Quail Hollow this week and on the upcoming third and fourth majors, the US Open, and The Open, which takes place in Portrush during the summer.
"In terms of the intensity, I feel I have always played my best when I have played free, and what happened a few weeks ago will help me play free, more often, when it comes to the big moments and the pressure moments," he said.
"I think that is where it will give me a little bit of an advantage than the way I felt in those situations over the past few years."
And as for this week’s course, Quail Hollow, McIlroy has developed somewhat of a love affair with the North Carolina track, recording four victories over the course of the last 15 years.
"It’s great to come back here, I have wonderful memories and it’s a course I have always been comfortable on.
"There are certain courses that suit me a little better than others, there are some that stand out and Quail Hollow has been one of those for me over the course of my career."
