Augusta National has been the majestic backdrop to so many of golf’s greatest moments and already the images of Rory McIlroy exorcising 14 years of Masters emotion have become iconic.
It was impossible not to have been moved by the sight of Rory doubled-over on the 18th green in the immediacy of securing his life-long dream of completing the career Grand Slam.
For those of us who have known and worked closely with Rory over the years, it was particularly poignant.
The boy wonder became a man a long time ago, but his tumultuous final round was very much a coming of age in terms of his personal journey at Augusta.
It felt like all those near misses at Augusta, and indeed in the other Major Championships over the years, had been building to that one defining moment that will be replayed for decades to come.
The significance of Rory’s victory cannot be understated. Only five other players – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – have achieved the Career Slam and the most recent of those, Tiger’s, was completed 25 years ago.
Rory is also the first European player to join golf’s most exclusive club, meaning it is a hugely significant milestone in the history of the DP World Tour and the European Tour Group.
Due to turn 36 years old on May 4, Rory has been a member of our Tour for nearly 19 years – more than half his life – and many of our staff have been part of his journey.
Indeed, Stuart Cage, our Director of Player Relations, was part of Rory’s management team when he won his first Major Championship at the 2011 U.S. Open, and it was a nice moment for Stuart to be on the 18th green at Augusta as Rory finally slipped into the famous Green Jacket.
I first met Rory in the early 2000s when I was working for Sir Nick Faldo and Rory signed up to be part of the Faldo Series. It was clear even as a young teenager that he was very talented, reaching finals and winning his age group at venues including Brocket Hall and Celtic Manor, but you can never fully foresee a player at that age being capable of going on to achievement what Rory has done.
Back then, I distinctly remember Rory being invited by Sir Nick to join him on trips to California and Hong Kong. We reminisced about those trips when Rory played in the first of our DP World Tour Play-Off events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, last November, recalling the ‘old days’ when getting onto a plane from Belfast to London seemed so adventurous, let alone our trips to America and Asia.
As a true, modern global player, Rory has certainly racked up a few air miles in the years since, enjoying success around the world.
It all Started In The UAE
The UAE – where he lived at the start of his career – has been a particularly fruitful region for him. He won the first of his 19 DP World Tour titles at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2009 and his victory in the Rolex Series event last year was the fourth time he had won that tournament.
He has also won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship on three occasions and although he is yet to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he boasts a remarkable record in that event too with eight top three finishes in his 13 appearances to date.
Rory has certainly made a habit of adding to his trophy cabinet when he returns to the Middle East. Last November, he secured his sixth Race to Dubai title, matching the career total of the legendary Seve Ballesteros.
His victory at Augusta moved him to the top spot on this year’s Ranking, meaning he is already well-placed to make it seven in Dubai later this year, with Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight now firmly in his sights.
Further entries into golfing history could come sooner though. The next Major Championship, the US PGA Championship, takes place at Quail Hollow, a venue where he has already won four times on the PGA TOUR. Then after the US Open at Oakmont, The Open returns to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland.
Of course, there is also the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage in September, when Team Europe will attempt to retain the trophy in New York and win on US soil for the first time since 2012.
Now the pressure of trying to achieve the career Grand Slam, and a fifth Major, has been alleviated, it will be fascinating to see where Rory’s journey takes him from here.
For the moment though, with the dust still settling on his Masters victory, I couldn’t be happier for Rory and also for Gerry and Rosie, his mum and dad. I know from personal experience how hard they have all worked and how much they have all sacrificed to get here.
