With a career Grand Slam in the bag following his historic Masters triumph earlier this month, Rory McIlroy’s peers think the sky is the limit for the Northern Irishman
Rory McIlroy’s recent comments speak volumes(Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy is a man unburdened. After years of near-misses and heartbreak at Augusta, the Northern Irishman finally claimed the Masters title in 2025, completing a career Grand Slam and silencing doubters who questioned whether he’d ever don the Green Jacket.
Now, with the weight of expectation lifted, McIlroy’s latest comments reveal a golfer brimming with confidence – and a statement that should send shivers down the spines of his rivals on both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
In an interview with the Irish Times, McIlroy was asked about his next chapter following a stellar run that includes victories at the Players Championship, Pebble Beach, and Augusta – and his response was as revealing as it was understated:.
“If I can produce the shots I needed to over the last few holes at Augusta, feeling as I was feeling then I am pretty capable of doing anything in this game,” he said, offering no lofty promises or any rigid goals, but simply a quiet belief that his current form could unlock limitless possibilities.
This mindset is a departure from the McIlroy of old, who often spoke of chasing specific milestones, like matching Tiger Woods’ major haul or cementing his legacy. Now, at 35, he appears focused on consistency over conquest.
“I don’t think I need to [set goals],” he said. “What’s next is just, how do I keep playing this way? If I keep playing the way I am, anything is possible.”
The Northern Irishman’s words speaks volumes about his newfound clarity, forged, unquestionably, off the back of his historic ghost-banishing victory at Augusta. “Getting the Masters, the career Grand Slam, the fifth major, getting all that out of the way. I think it will allow me to play with a lot more freedom,” McIlroy told the BBC earlier this month.
Rory McIlroy believes his Masters triumph has lifted a weight from his shoulders(Image: Getty)
“I really do think it’s going to free me up. It’s been a long time coming.”
His confidence come at a time when colleagues of his are making bold predictions about his future, some of which are frightening in their ambition. Trevor Heaven, the men’s captain at McIlroy’s hometown Holywood Golf Club, insisted his Masters win had removed Rory’s “shackles”, and predicted he could “go on to win 10” major titles.
“I think [McIlroy] has a free run over the next couple of years,” Heaven told CNN Sport. “He’s so talented that when he turns up to all the tournaments he’s the favourite.”
Dr Bob Rotella thinks Rory could start racking up major wins(Image: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
McIlroy’s Masters win was his first major in 11 years, and his fifth overall. He’s half-way to double figures – a feat only three men have achieved.
Bob Rotella, McIlroy’s sports phycologist, echoed Heaven’s optimism, tipping Rory to “win quite a few more” majors now that the Grand Slam is complete. Similarly, former US Open champion and LIV Golf star Graeme McDowell said he reckons his compatriot may well end up doubling his current tally.
“Some people can be just like ‘that’s it’ and maybe not do a lot more in their career,” he told the BBC. “Others people can kick on and the world is their oyster and he could go on to win four, five, six more majors from here.”
Padraig Harrington (R) thinks McIlroy could become the most successful golfer of all time(Image: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Padraig Harrington went a step further, tipping McIlroy to surpass Woods’ 15 major titles, and possibly even Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18. “The Masters was distinctly different to every other tournament for Rory. Now he’s over that,” Harrington said speaking on The Golf Channel.
“He asked in his press conference, ‘What are we going to talk about next year?’ Well, we’re going to talk about whether he can complete the yearly Grand Slam, we’re going to talk about whether he can beat Nick Faldo’s six majors, we’re going to talk about whether he can get to 10 majors.
“And guess what? We’re going to talk about whether he can get to 15 majors and then we’re going to talk about whether he can get to 18 majors,” the Irishman added.
McIlroy’s Masters triumph ended 11 years of hurt for the Northern Irishman(Image: Getty Images)
“The beauty for Rory is that his game is future-proofed. He’s not a guy who gets injured and he’s extremely powerful, so it doesn’t matter if all these kids coming out of college hit it for miles. That doesn’t matter to Rory. Nobody is going to have an advantage over him.”
These audacious claims signal that McIlroy’s peers see him as a force reborn. Finally freed from the crushing weight of expectation, Rory can now push his prodigious talent to its limits, and if he maintains this level, as he believes he can, those ‘frightening’ predictions might not seem so far-fetched.
For now, the golfing world watches with bated breath, knowing Rory McIlroy is capable of anything.
