CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy’s intense emotional reaction to winning the Masters last month marked a unique achievement in his career: a grand slam.
This moment resonated with many fans, as they sensed the immense pressure that had burdened McIlroy for almost 11 years finally eased.
“I tried to keep myself from watching it too much because I wanted to cherish the emotions. When I re-watch things, it’s like I remember the images on the screen, not what I really felt,” McIlroy remarked in Quail Hollow on Wednesday, just before the PGA Championship began. “But whenever I do watch it, those feelings come back. It makes me want to cry.”
McIlroy described his reaction as “unwilling,” adding, “I’ve never felt such a release, and I might not ever feel that way again. It could be something I only experience once—it was a really cool moment.”
“I feel like I’ve achieved everything I set out to do. I aimed to be the best player in the world and win every major, and I’ve done that,” he said.
It’s curious to think about McIlroy’s next steps now that he has hit this milestone. Will he still have that same drive?
“I realize I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself regarding the career grand slam, and I want to savor this victory,” he said. “My goal now is to enjoy the game and play the best golf I can.”
McIlroy expressed that achieving his dream was exactly as he envisioned. “Everyone needs goals and dreams, and I got to live mine,” he shared.
“I’ll continue to set personal goals. I want to achieve more and create further highlights, but I can’t say if there will be another victory quite like the one I had a few weeks ago.”
He also weighed in on Decanbaugh’s comments about their last round together after the tournament had concluded.
“I’m not sure what he expected,” McIlroy reflected. “We were both competing for the title. My focus was on my own game.”
“It wasn’t directed at him… I just felt I needed to maximize my performance that day,” he added.
McIlroy will tackle his first two rounds with defending world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and PGA champion Xander Schauffele. They’re set to tee off at 8:22 AM on Thursday and 1:47 PM on Friday.
