In golf, a Grand Slam refers to an unofficial term for winning all four major championships in the same year. In the modern era, the Grand Slam requires victories in four tournaments in a single calendar year (listed in current playing order):
- Masters Tournament, held the week ending on the 2nd Sunday in April – hosted as an invitational by and played at, Augusta National Golf Club.
- PGA Championship (also known as the "United States PGA Championship" or "USPGA"), held the week ending on the 3rd Sunday in May, one week before Memorial Day weekend – hosted by the PGA of America and played at various locations in the United States. Prior to 2019, it was held in mid-August, three weeks before Labor Day weekend.
- U.S. Open, held the week ending on the 3rd Sunday in June – hosted by the USGA and played at various locations in the United States.
- The Open Championship ("The Open", sometimes called "the British Open" outside the UK), held the week containing the 3rd Friday in July – hosted by The R&A and always played on a links course at one of several predetermined locations in the United Kingdom on a rota basis.
This past weekend, Rory McIllroy achieved that feat for the first time in his career. He suffered through 10 barren years at major tournaments before his stunning Masters triumph on Sunday; which clinched him a career Grand Slam.
Dame Laura Davies said in the immediate aftermath of McIlroy's Augusta National win: "He might win five or six more majors now as he will never feel pressure like that again, trying to get the Grand Slam."
The Masters was the last major tournament left for McIlroy to complete the modern golf Grand Slam - a feat only five others have managed before him. McIlroy, who was making his 11th attempt at completing the Grand Slam, faced off against Ryder Cup team-mate, Justin Rose, in a sudden-death play-off to decide the Masters champion, after they finished tied on 11 under at the end of regulation on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference after his victory, McIlroy said: "You have to be the eternal optimist in this game. I have been saying it until I am blue in the face but I truly believe I am a better player now than 10 year ago. It is so hard to stay patient, keep coming back and not being able to get it done."
"There were points on the back nine where I thought, 'have I let this slip again?' but I responded and am really proud of myself. It has been an emotional week so I am thrilled to be last man standing."
Just before slipping on a coveted green jacket during the presentation ceremony, the Northern Irishman said: "It's my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time. I'm just absolutely honoured and thrilled and just so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion. There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green."
McIlroy had missed his six-foot putt for par, a bogey which dropped him back to 11 under, where he joined Rose - leading to a dramatic playoff between the two.
Only five other golfers have been able to complete a career Grand Slam - Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.
McIlroy is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship, claiming the prize in 2012 and 2014. The 35-year-old also won his first major title, the US Open, in 2011, and won the Open Championship in 2014.
In Northern Ireland, debate is already raging as to whether Rory McIlroy has presented himself as the country’s greatest ever sportsperson. The answer is surely obvious. Step aside, George Best. McIlroy’s Masters triumph may even force Sports Personality of the Year to afford due recognition to golf. It may only be April but it feels highly unlikely the scene immediately after McIlroy claimed the Masters on Sunday will be matched. His pounding of the turf; his tears absorbed more than a decade of such deep frustration. The moment reverberated beyond sport; Rory had done it. Grown men, lots of them, shed tears on his behalf as he broke his Augusta hoodoo.
McIlroy’s competitive longevity doesn't get sufficient credit. A glance at the world golf rankings from the end of 2014, when he last won two majors, leads you to ponder, "whatever happened to … " time and again. Justin Rose, who came so close to shattering McIlroy’s dream, is notable at No 6.
There are shades of Seve Ballesters in the way McIlroy plays. In winning the Masters, McIlroy routinely used escapism of which Ballesteros would have been proud of. Ballesteros won four of his majors inside five years and all of them inside nine. He never looked capable of winning a US Open, which like the US PGA Championship, duly eluded him. McIlroy is Seve Plus.
There will be shouts for Harry Vardon in this conversation. The man from Jersey won the Open six times and lifted the US Open trophy in 1900. Vardon’s grip was a huge contribution to golf. It feels impossible, though, to compare the sport he was involved in – niblicks, jiggers et al. – to the scene of today. Vardon never broke 70 with his Gutta-Percha in those six Open triumphs (in his defence, he didn't have to). The competitive strength of golf in this era is as intense as never before.
McIlroy’s influence on golf has been huge. He has drawn people towards it, including as a properly athletic pursuit. His willingness to speak so openly, so candidly and so often adds to his appeal. He has also been statesmanlike in the game at a time when it has been pulled apart by civil war. He never needed to do that, in fact, perhaps, wishes he didn't; but it came naturally. McIlroy’s voice is a sane one. He feels responsibility to use it.
The patrons who witnessed the tidal wave of feelings that swept McIlroy off his feet on the 18th green knew exactly why he was so overcome; they could understand why his body was on its knees, heaving and convulsing.
His collapse was so monumental that he went from leading the tournament as he made the turn on Sunday, to limping home in a tie for 15th place.
By the time he made it back to the clubhouse, the expectant throng had deserted him, the journalists who walked with McIlroy every step of the way that day had described the experience as funereal.
Those patrons knew and understood McIlroy’s journey and the psychological trauma he’s since endured and he knew that every year that passed him by would only make it harder to finally succeed.
It was over four hours of nerve-wracking drama and one of the most extraordinary sporting events witnessed in recent times.
McIlroy admitted that he was initially overwhelmed by the moment. He said that he was, "unbelievably nervous" in the morning, that his legs felt like jelly on the first tee, he had a knot in his stomach and his appetite had deserted him to the point that he had to force his food down.
His emotional state manifested itself with a disastrous start, as his two-shot lead evaporated immediately with a double bogey.
At any other point in his recent career, this could've been a terminal setback but he said that he felt the early mistake actually calmed him. There were further moments of madness, another double bogey on 13 seemed like it might derail him completely.
Even his playing partner, Bryson DeChambeau, who began the day in contention himself, said that he wanted to cry for McIlroy when his ball plunged into Rae’s Creek.
Several times during the afternoon, McIlroy demonstrably crumpled under the intolerable weight of expectation and he sometimes looked to be on the verge of tears. Yet, he kept bouncing back, defying anybody who lost faith and gave up on him, producing a series of audacious career-defining shots to stay in the fight.
"My battle today was with myself," he said. "It wasn’t with anyone else." Even when it seemed as though he’d weathered his own internal tempest, another misstep on the 72nd hole threatened to sink him for good.
Sarazen, Hogan and Woods had completed the grand slam at their first opportunity, Nicklaus and Player at their third but McIlroy had suffered through a decade of trying before finally making it at the 11th attempt. Not only that, he also became the first player in Masters history to win the green jacket after making four double bogeys during the span of the tournament.
Some sportswriters had previewed the day by saying that it would be the most terrifying round of golf in his life and by the end of it, he couldn’t deny it. "It was one of my toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course," he concurred. "I didn’t make it easy today, I certainly didn’t make it easy. There was points I thought, 'Have I let this slip again?' But I responded with clutch shots when I needed to and I’m really proud of myself for that. It’s been an emotionally draining week, a lot of rollercoaster rounds, and so just, you know, absolutely thrilled to be the last man standing."
As one writer quipped, McIlroy’s demons had simply run out of holes – because, clearly, he still has mental challenges to wrestle with. However, he had managed it, "Rors" has finally triumphed to join a club so exclusive that nobody even thought to mention the $4.2 million prize.
It’s a shame that the history books won’t be able detail the emotional chaos of the last five hours of his odyssey to ascend to the pantheon of greats because it truly was one of the most titanic days in sports.
In the immediate aftermath of his triumph, some of the sport’s biggest names and fellow Grand Slam winners reached out to congratulate him, including Tiger Woods, who was absent from this year’s tournament due to an Achilles injury last month that reportedly has him unable to walk properly yet.
"Welcome to the club," Woods said in a social media post. "Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round and this entire journey has shown through, and now you're a part of history. Proud of you!"
Gary Player, another Grand Slam legend, shared an emotional message celebrating McIlroy’s achievement. "This is one of the rarest and most difficult achievements in all of sport, something only now six golfers in history have ever accomplished," Player wrote. "We are proud to add Rory to our exclusive club and no doubt he has set the standard for his era... Rory showed true grit today and also through the entire tournament."
"It was 11 years ago when Rory first started the final leg of his career Grand Slam journey," Player continued. "And throughout this time, he’s carried himself with class, led with principle, and played with passion. For him to to finally don the Green Jacket in golf is a moment to be celebrated by fans around the world."
Others chimed in as well. 2024 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler handed McIlroy the green jacket and later offered his congratulations; not without a bit of friendly banter.
"The green looks good on you bud, only took you 11 years to to try it on," Scheffler joked in a post about how long it took.. "Jokes aside, proud of you."
I'm not quite efficient with the game of golf. I just know the basics of the game. However, I am well aware of Rory McIllroy. I was quite surprised to learn that he hadn't achieved this earlier in his career. He has certainly earned the very distinction he's achieved. I also have to agree that he has been extremely influencial. Not only on golf but in sport as well.
Onwards and upwards, Rory McIllroy!