Rory McIlroy feels he is better placed to build on his stunning sixth major victory than he was following his breakthrough Masters win in 2025.
McIlroy famously won four majors between 2011 and 2014, the first of which came at the age of 22.
However, the final prize to complete a career Grand Slam evaded the Co Down man across a rollercoaster 11-year spell at Augusta National when at times it seemed he was destined never to don the green jacket.
That all changed last year as he won an impossibly dramatic play-off against Justin Rose to complete the set of majors, a feat he repeated late on Sunday evening with a one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler.
Prior to last year's win, McIlroy had claimed the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Players Championship.
Following the Masters victory, he went on to win the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai, the Irish Open after an incredible eagle on the last to force a play-off, and the Ryder Cup.
That’s an incredible haul by any standard but it was his performances at the year’s three remaining majors – tied 47th at the PGA Championship, tied 19th at the US Open and tied seventh at the Open – that underwhelmed.
"I think last year was the culmination of trying to win the Grand Slam and win the Masters for the first time, win my first major in 10 years, it was all of it together," the 36-year-old told RTÉ Sport’s Greg Allen following his win on Sunday night.
"This is obviously amazing, it's my second green jacket, it's very cool but I really don't think I'm going to have the like lull or whatever it was I had last year of like trying to figure out 'OK' what's next?', because I've went through that.
"I realised, well, what's next is you just keep going and you just keep trying to have more success and keep winning the biggest tournaments that there are to win in the world.
"I was glad last year that the whole Grand Slam thing was done because that really was what I was chasing and now going forward it's just everything is icing on the cake or a cherry on top or all gravy - whatever you want to call it.
"I feel like I can just go and play my game and have a chance to win a lot more majors."
McIlroy was tied for the lead with Sam Burns after round one and a stunning 65 on day two saw the Holywood GC man hold a six-shot lead, an advantage that came with its own pressures, he admitted.
That lead evaporated on moving day as he finished on 11 under alongside Cameron Young before Sunday’s play.
"It's not easy, I certainly didn't play the way I wanted to on Saturday but I held it together, I shot 73 but Cam [Young] shot 65, Scottie [Scheffler] shot 65 so I had a few guys like come from the pack and really shoot good scores but I hung in there.
"I at least gave myself a chance and I think the reset on Saturday night was [important].
"Look, when I got here to Augusta on Saturday of last week, if someone had told me that I would be tied for the lead going into the final round, and I'm in the final group I would have taken it so I think just reframing where I found myself was important."
McIlroy made a double bogey on four and a bogey on six, and at one point found himself three shots behind when Justin Rose made his midway move.
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But he picked up four shots to hold a two-stroke lead coming down the last where a bogey was enough.
He was proud of how he held his nerve.
"I think I set myself a little mini goal of 'OK, if I can just be even par through nine' and I did that," he said.
"Knowing that the seventh hole where that pin was, that feeder pin was a good chance you know so birdie in seven, birdie in eight, I probably should have birdied nine as well but you know to get back to even par through nine, I thought 'OK, if I can play a really good back nine here I still have a great chance to win the Masters', so that was the mindset."
Every shot from Rory McIlroy's final round. #themasters pic.twitter.com/fvwWI4bkHJ
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2026
He added: "I said to you after [last year's win] I'd love to get another opportunity where I'm in the lead standing on the 13th tee and see if I would handle it differently, and I had that opportunity this year and I did handle it differently, which was great.
"I don't know if [proving last year wasn’t a fluke] was a driving force but I just think that the way that I won last year, I feel like I played better at last year's Masters than I did at this year's Masters especially for the entire tournament, for the four days but again, I stumbled over the line.
"So I think it's just hard to win golf tournaments, it's hard to win majors, that's why not many people do and I think just to prove to myself that I can do it again."
The next major of the year is the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, Pennsylvania from 14-17 May.
