The 2025 major championship season sets up undeniably well for Rory McIlroy.
The PGA Championship will be at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, where McIlroy has won the Wells Fargo Championship no fewer than four times. The Open Championship will return to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland, where he once broke the course record by shooting a 61 at age 16.
But there’s one major that McIlroy obviously pines for above all. The only one missing from his résumé — the one that would complete the sixth career Grand Slam in modern history.
McIlroy arrives at Augusta National in such optimal form that we have to wonder — if 2025 isn’t the year he captures the Masters, is it ever going to happen?
Not to sound alarmist about one of the greatest golfers of this millennium, but McIlroy has already seen plenty of chances to nab his green jacket come and go. He turns 36 next month, and while he doesn’t have the injury history of Tiger Woods, it’s not reasonable to expect him to play this well forever.
McIlroy enters this week atop the FedEx Cup standings thanks to victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Players Championship, where he beat two incredibly strong fields. No one on tour is gaining more strokes per round than him — McIlroy’s putting it well and, as usual, striping everything off the tee.
His second-place finish in 2022 and T-22 last year came in the shadow of champion Scottie Scheffler, who’s been a Tiger-esque dominant force in golf the past few years but has finally slowed down just a bit. Scheffler has yet to win a tournament in 2025, ostensibly leaving the door ever so slightly ajar for his chief competition.
But we’ve done this dance before: “Look out everyone, it’s Rory’s time!” His major championship drought has reached a full 10 seasons and counting, with a mesmerizing 21 top-10 finishes in majors since his last breakthrough — enough near misses to turn someone mad.
Whether he wins this week is entirely up to McIlroy and what’s between his ears. I know if I blew chances to win back-to-back U.S. Opens — falling to Wyndham Clark and then Bryson DeChambeau — my skin would start crawling when I reached the biggest stage in golf.
McIlroy’s mental toughness is at the center of his plans for the week.
“It’s just narratives. It’s noise,” he said Tuesday. “It’s just trying to block out that noise as much as possible. I need to treat this tournament like all the other tournaments that I play throughout the year.
“Look, I understand the narrative and the noise, and there’s a lot of anticipation and buildup coming into this tournament each and every year, but I just have to keep my head down and focus on my job.”
When Sergio Garcia won the Masters for the first time in 2017, he did so in his 19th start — the most tries of any golfer before breaking through at Augusta. Thursday will mark McIlroy’s 17th career start.
I’m not saying he won’t win majors in his 40s — Woods and Jack Nicklaus did. But the Scheffler-led next generation is stronger than ever. “There’s always next year” will, someday, no longer apply.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Buffalo Bills Day 3 mock draft: Trading up for a falling value, targeting special teams
The first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft have concluded, and the Bills held true to their promise by using all three of their early picks on defense. The trio of cornerback Maxwell Hairston, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and edge rusher Landon Jackson all have the potential to turn into starting players for the Bills over time.AdvertisementBut with the first two days done, it’s time to shift into the depth of the draft and the third day. Saturday will hold the final four rounds, with the Bills holding seven picks at Nos. 132, 169, 170, 173, 177, 206 and 240.And if there’s one thing the Bills have been able to do well over the years in the NFL draft, it’s finding some Day Three gems who turn into down-the-line starters. Since general manager Brandon Beane’s first Bills draft in […]
In Trey Amos, Commanders again get a player atop their board on Day 2 of NFL Draft
ASHBURN, Va. — Forget whether fans approve of the Washington Commanders’ second-round selection. Drafting former Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos 61st overall had members of the organization’s research and development department roaring with delight.“I don’t know if you guys could hear,” general manager Adam Peters said to local media members moments later, “but our R&D department was probably the loudest.”AdvertisementThe approval wasn’t a display of Ole Miss fandom. Amos, a physical 6-foot-1 press cornerback with 13 credited pass deflections last season, was the data analyst’s top-rated player entering Day 2 of the NFL Draft. They weren’t the only ones in the building who were ecstatic about adding the former Louisiana and Alabama transfer who faced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in college.Peters shared that the 2024 first-team All-SEC defender was in consideration with the Commanders’ first-round selection, 29th overall, before landing […]
49ers add beef — and ferocity — to middle of their defense on Day 2 of NFL Draft
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Five of the last seven tailbacks the San Francisco 49ers faced in 2024 ran for more than 100 yards and the team gave up 24 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the second most in the NFL.Those dubious statistics seemed to be on the 49ers’ mind on Friday as they focused on bolstering the middle of their defense, beginning with a 332-pound defensive tackle early in the second round and finishing with a 181-pound nickel cornerback late in the third.AdvertisementKyle Shanahan admitted last month’s free-agency period, one in which the team lost eight 2024 starters — “more than we ever (lost) before,” he said — had him nervous about filling those holes in the draft. He said he was feeling a lot better about his roster by the end of the day Friday.“I told John […]
How the Bengals altered their process to — perhaps — finally fix the OL drafting problem
CINCINNATI — Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher doesn’t go on many pro day visits. He traveled to Ohio State and Georgia this year with new offensive line coach Scott Peters alongside him every step of the way.They arrived in Athens, Georgia, with a target on UGA guard Dylan Fairchild and his teammate, Tate Ratledge.AdvertisementWhen Peters started working with Fairchild, and both locked arms, something special happened.“That’s really where it felt like a connection,” Fairchild said.Fairchild, a country-strong, 315-pounder from rural Georgia, started wrestling when he was 6 years old. It defined his transition to football and his becoming a two-year starter at left guard for the Bulldogs. Then there’s Peters, in his first season with Cincinnati, with a background in jujutsu and no stranger to the weight room, himself looking to test Fairchild’s technical skill and power.“I could feel my […]
In drafting Mason Taylor, Jets transform his father from longtime foe into biggest fan
For years, Jason Taylor mocked the Jets and their fans. It was hard to blame him — he was a Miami Dolphin lifer, a rival. He tormented the Jets during the prime of a Hall of Fame career, and he relished it. In 2004, he called their fans “ignorant.” In 2007, he said they “suck.” In 2009, he called Giants fans “classy” — and Jets fans, not so much. He even joked that he’d rather retire than play for the Jets. But then he did become a Jet.AdvertisementIn 2010, he signed with the Jets, a franchise on the rise under Rex Ryan’s guidance. They’d moved to their new facility in Florham Park a couple years earlier, and Taylor’s locker was in the back corner. He hung out there a lot, happy to chat with anyone — media, teammates, staffers — […]
Evan Bouchard, Oilers beat Kings in another high-scoring affair: Game 3 takeaways
EDMONTON — What a turn of events.The Edmonton Oilers were less than seven minutes away from being down 3-0 and on the brink of elimination in their series against the Los Angeles Kings. Then, there was a seismic shift.Evander Kane scored on a goal-mouth scramble, a goal that was initially deemed no good because it was thought Kane kicked the puck in. A review determined that though Kane did kick the puck, he got his stick on it before it crossed the goal line.AdvertisementThat tied the game. The Kings then opted to challenge for goaltender interference, and the goal was upheld. That put the Oilers on the power play. They scored their second goal on as many man advantages on Friday after starting the series 0-for-5 when Evan Bouchard finished off a beautiful orchestrated give-and-go with Leon Draisaitl.Those two goals […]
Related
Buffalo Bills Day 3 mock draft: Trading up for a falling value, targeting special teams
The first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft have concluded, and the Bills held true to their promise by using all three of their early picks on defense. The trio of cornerback Maxwell Hairston, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and edge rusher Landon Jackson all have the potential to turn into starting players for the Bills over time.AdvertisementBut with the first two days done, it’s time to shift into the depth of the draft and the third day. Saturday will hold the final four rounds, with the Bills holding seven picks at Nos. 132, 169, 170, 173, 177, 206 and 240.And if there’s one thing the Bills have been able to do well over the years in the NFL draft, it’s finding some Day Three gems who turn into down-the-line starters. Since general manager Brandon Beane’s first Bills draft in […]
In Trey Amos, Commanders again get a player atop their board on Day 2 of NFL Draft
ASHBURN, Va. — Forget whether fans approve of the Washington Commanders’ second-round selection. Drafting former Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos 61st overall had members of the organization’s research and development department roaring with delight.“I don’t know if you guys could hear,” general manager Adam Peters said to local media members moments later, “but our R&D department was probably the loudest.”AdvertisementThe approval wasn’t a display of Ole Miss fandom. Amos, a physical 6-foot-1 press cornerback with 13 credited pass deflections last season, was the data analyst’s top-rated player entering Day 2 of the NFL Draft. They weren’t the only ones in the building who were ecstatic about adding the former Louisiana and Alabama transfer who faced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in college.Peters shared that the 2024 first-team All-SEC defender was in consideration with the Commanders’ first-round selection, 29th overall, before landing […]
49ers add beef — and ferocity — to middle of their defense on Day 2 of NFL Draft
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Five of the last seven tailbacks the San Francisco 49ers faced in 2024 ran for more than 100 yards and the team gave up 24 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the second most in the NFL.Those dubious statistics seemed to be on the 49ers’ mind on Friday as they focused on bolstering the middle of their defense, beginning with a 332-pound defensive tackle early in the second round and finishing with a 181-pound nickel cornerback late in the third.AdvertisementKyle Shanahan admitted last month’s free-agency period, one in which the team lost eight 2024 starters — “more than we ever (lost) before,” he said — had him nervous about filling those holes in the draft. He said he was feeling a lot better about his roster by the end of the day Friday.“I told John […]
How the Bengals altered their process to — perhaps — finally fix the OL drafting problem
CINCINNATI — Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher doesn’t go on many pro day visits. He traveled to Ohio State and Georgia this year with new offensive line coach Scott Peters alongside him every step of the way.They arrived in Athens, Georgia, with a target on UGA guard Dylan Fairchild and his teammate, Tate Ratledge.AdvertisementWhen Peters started working with Fairchild, and both locked arms, something special happened.“That’s really where it felt like a connection,” Fairchild said.Fairchild, a country-strong, 315-pounder from rural Georgia, started wrestling when he was 6 years old. It defined his transition to football and his becoming a two-year starter at left guard for the Bulldogs. Then there’s Peters, in his first season with Cincinnati, with a background in jujutsu and no stranger to the weight room, himself looking to test Fairchild’s technical skill and power.“I could feel my […]
In drafting Mason Taylor, Jets transform his father from longtime foe into biggest fan
For years, Jason Taylor mocked the Jets and their fans. It was hard to blame him — he was a Miami Dolphin lifer, a rival. He tormented the Jets during the prime of a Hall of Fame career, and he relished it. In 2004, he called their fans “ignorant.” In 2007, he said they “suck.” In 2009, he called Giants fans “classy” — and Jets fans, not so much. He even joked that he’d rather retire than play for the Jets. But then he did become a Jet.AdvertisementIn 2010, he signed with the Jets, a franchise on the rise under Rex Ryan’s guidance. They’d moved to their new facility in Florham Park a couple years earlier, and Taylor’s locker was in the back corner. He hung out there a lot, happy to chat with anyone — media, teammates, staffers — […]
Evan Bouchard, Oilers beat Kings in another high-scoring affair: Game 3 takeaways
EDMONTON — What a turn of events.The Edmonton Oilers were less than seven minutes away from being down 3-0 and on the brink of elimination in their series against the Los Angeles Kings. Then, there was a seismic shift.Evander Kane scored on a goal-mouth scramble, a goal that was initially deemed no good because it was thought Kane kicked the puck in. A review determined that though Kane did kick the puck, he got his stick on it before it crossed the goal line.AdvertisementThat tied the game. The Kings then opted to challenge for goaltender interference, and the goal was upheld. That put the Oilers on the power play. They scored their second goal on as many man advantages on Friday after starting the series 0-for-5 when Evan Bouchard finished off a beautiful orchestrated give-and-go with Leon Draisaitl.Those two goals […]
Be the first to leave a comment