A Career Grand Slam and a New Mindset

Rory McIlroy has sent a warning to his rivals ahead of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, stating that he is now playing with the biggest pile of house money imaginable.

The Northern Irishman, who completed the career grand slam a month ago by winning the Masters, will tee up on Thursday morning in the US PGA Championship, a venue where he has tasted victory four times.

McIlroy’s emotional glory at Augusta National made him just the sixth golfer in history to win all four men’s majors. “I have achieved everything that I’ve wanted,” he said. “I have done everything I’ve wanted to do in the game.

I dreamed as a child of becoming the best player in the world and winning all the majors. I’ve done that. Everything beyond this, for however long I decide to play the game competitively, is a bonus.”

The 36-year-old’s triumph has had a profound impact on him, and he admits that he still gets emotional when thinking back to the moment. “I’ve tried not to watch it a lot because I want to remember the feelings,” he said.

“I’ve talked about this before, but I think when I rewatch a lot of things back, I then just remember the visuals of the TV rather than what I was feeling and what I was seeing through my own eyes.”

McIlroy’s focus is now on enjoying the last decade or so of his career, rather than setting more professional targets.

He has no apparent need to do so, given his impressive record at Quail Hollow, where he has posted nine top 10s in 13 starts. The course’s current wet conditions may even favor him, as his distance and accuracy with the driver are extra valuable in such conditions.

“I believe that any conditions that we play in, I have the abilities and I have the skill set to excel,” McIlroy explained. When asked if there was any element of his game he would swap with another player, he was stern-faced in his response.

“I wouldn’t trade,” he said. With his career grand slam achieved, McIlroy is now in a position where he can focus on enjoying the game, rather than feeling burdened by numbers or statistics.