Did Rory McIlroy awaken an inexorable beast in Scottie Scheffler when he won the Career Grand Slam at the Masters?
When Scheffler placed the green jacket upon the shoulders of McIlroy it seemed like it could signal a changing of the guard where McIlroy went on a major spree throughout the summer leaving Scheffler, who hadn’t really been at the races to that point, behind.
But the pendulum has swung in Scheffler’s favour. Three wins in four starts all in a facile nature, including the PGA Championship, have made him the alpha male in world golf once again and after a freak hand injury gave him a false start to the 2025 campaign, he looks better than ever.
McIlroy was only going to go one of two ways. Players feared that the County Down native may go on a major winning tirade now that the eleven-year burden was off his shoulders while some quarters wondered if he would have a brief lull now that the pressure that has weighed like a ton of bricks has been lifted.
It’s been the latter.
McIlroy’s pre-Masters form was sensational with two victories and no finish outside the top-17 before he achieved golfing immortality at Augusta National. But since then he was sloppy at the Zurich Classic, a non threatening 7th at the Truist Championship before he registered his worst result of the season at the PGA Championship where he was T47.
He has also started the RBC Canadian Open sluggishly – a tournament where he is a two-time champion – although there is an element of trial and error this week with a new driver in the bag after his old one failed a conformity test at the PGA Championship.
But one thing that can’t be escaped for McIlroy is that the chase is over. He has achieved everything he set out to do and has won everything there is to win in the game of golf.
Golf isn’t like a team sport where, squads can be replenished with the hunger of youth to build on serial winners, McIlroy has to find the motivation from within and it’s something he has struggled to do.
“I don’t know if I’m chasing anything,” McIlroy admitted. “I would certainly say that the last few weeks I’ve had a couple weeks off, and going and grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be.
“You have this event in your life that you’ve worked towards and it happens, sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again.
“I think the last two weeks have been good for me just as a reset, just to sort of figure out where I’m at in my own head, what I want to do, where I want to play. Yeah, reset some goals.
“I thought it was a good time to reset some goals. I’ve had a pretty good first half of the season, and I want to have a good second half of the season now, too.”
There is plenty for McIlroy to chase. Eclipsing Nick Faldo’s record of six majors and becoming the undisputed greatest European golfer of all time.
Surely he will want to put a cork in Scheffler’s dominance. Even potentially stopping a career grand slam attempt from the world number one on home soil should light a fire under him.
McIlroy plays his best golf when he has a point to prove – insert Paul McGinley line on pointy elbows here – well his point should be to prove that he can dominate like Scheffler has been.
Reaching ten major championships is a very realistic goal if McIlroy can find the balance of using the release of pressure to freewheel his way in majors while also maintaining his focus which has been lacking in recent weeks.
Oakmont and Royal Portrush are tailor-made for McIlroy and it would be a shame if he were to let these two opportunities pass him by without putting himself in contention.
In just over a month’s time it will be Rory mania in Portrush. After having an under the radar homecoming back in Holywood for his Masters win, the reception he will receive on the Dunluce Links will be beyond pandemonium.
Surely the motivation will come back with that ounce of pressure that he needs to perform again.
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