Rory McIlroy will be the heavy favourite for the Masters in the eyes of many after winning his second title of the year at the Players Championship, with the Northern Irishman beating J.J. Spaun in a playoff on St Patrick’s Day.
Rory McIlroy has already made history at the start of 2025. The 35-year-old followed his victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year by triumphing at TPC Sawgrass after returning on Monday to defeat Spaun over three additional holes.
It is the first time in his PGA Tour career in which McIlroy has won twice before April – which adds to the feeling that there is something just a little different about the four-time major champion in 2025.
Of course, McIlroy has reached such a level where his legacy is largely only going to be decided by how he performs in the majors. So it feels particularly significant that he has already won two marquee events with the Masters emerging on the horizon.
Rory McIlroy makes history as he wins the Players Championship on St Patrick’s Day for a second time
McIlroy has picked up all kinds of scars from his trips to Augusta National over the years. He threw away a four-shot lead heading into the final round in 2011, and he has never felt that close to winning the event in the years since.
However, McIlroy is always going to be considered a contender every time he makes the turning to head down Magnolia Lane. And perhaps there is a good omen in his victory at the Players Championship.
McIlroy became the first player to ever win the Players on St Patrick’s Day on more than one occasion, with his 2019 victory also sealed on March 17th.
But that is not the only reason why March 17th is significant in the golfing calendar, with the game’s first ever grand slam winner born on that date 123 years ago.
McIlroy now looking to emulate Bobby Jones as thoughts continue to turn to the Masters
Bobby Jones is often included in the conversation when discussing the greatest and most influential golfers of all-time. Despite largely retiring from the game in 1930 at the age of 28, Jones still managed to win 13 majors during his career – becoming the only player in the history of the game to win all four majors available to him in the same calendar year.
Jones would win The Amateur Championship, The Open Championship, the US Open and the US Amateur between May and September 1930. Only Tiger Woods has also ever been able to say that he holds all four majors at the same time, with Woods completing the Tiger Slam with his victory at the 2001 Masters.
McIlroy will not be thinking about winning all four majors in 2025. But a victory at the Masters this year will finally see the European join Jones, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods as the only career grand slam winners in the history of the men’s game.
There is still an awful long way to go before McIlroy is finally slipping on that green jacket. But those who believe in some kind of fate will take a lot of hope from McIlroy securing his latest PGA Tour title on the birthday of the first grand slam winner – who also co-founded the one major which currently eludes him.
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