McIlroy Turns Attention to Double Grand Slam After Historic Masters Defense

Rory McIlroy is refusing to rest on his laurels. Twelve months after finally conquering Augusta National to complete the career Grand Slam, the Northern Irishman returned to the winners circle in even more dramatic fashion, holding off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by a single shot to become the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2002.

The victory sent a clear message: McIlroy is not done chasing history. Far from it.

I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realised it was not, McIlroy said after his win. It is just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve.

The 36-year-old now has six major titles to his name, matching the tallies of Sir Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino. Only Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (15) have more among modern-era players. But it is the trajectory that has the golfing world buzzing.

It took me 10 years to win my fifth major and then my sixth one has come pretty soon after it, McIlroy admitted in his press conference. I am not putting a number on it, but I certainly do not want to stop here.

Among the targets now in his sights is a rare double Grand Slam. By winning his second straight Masters, McIlroy finds himself halfway to joining an even more exclusive club. He has already collected two PGA Championships and three Open Championships across his career, and another cycle through all four majors would place him in rarified air.

Only Nicklaus and Woods have won all four majors on multiple occasions, each managing it at least three times. McIlroy acknowledges he is a long way from those numbers, but the hunger clearly remains. He has had seven top-10 finishes at the US Open since his dominant 2011 victory at Congressional, including runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, and he returns to Shinnecock Hills this year with that particular ghost firmly in his sights.

There is also the matter of European golf history. McIlroy is already the only male golfer from the continent to have completed the career Grand Slam, and tying Seve Ballesteros with a second Masters green jacket prompted Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald to declare him unequivocally the best European player of all time. Tying Harry Vardon is the next frontier. The Jersey golfer won seven majors between 1896 and 1914, a record that has stood for over a century.

McIlroy has 30 PGA Tour wins to his name, four consecutive Race to Dubai titles, and shows no signs of the physical decline that typically ends careers. Former European Ryder Cup player Ken Brown, now a BBC golf commentator, noted his extraordinary dedication to fitness and his daily rituals. He is one of the greats because he is always working on something, Brown said. But to win a lot of majors you have got to be fit, you have got to be strong. Rory is.

With the majors schedule taking in Shinnecock Hills for the US Open and then Pebble Beach in 2027, McIlroy has two venues where he has already demonstrated form. He started his 2025 PGA Tour season with a win at Pebble Beach and finished third at St Andrews the last time The Open visited the Old Course. The next chapter of his career is already being written, and it promises to be compelling viewing.