Rory McIlroy is currently taking on another Masters, a tournament he has yet to win in his glittering career.
McIlroy loves holes 13-16 at Augusta National, which is once again hosting the first major championship of the season, but he is set to be disappointed with his opening round.
The Northern Irishman boasts four major championship wins so far, but that does not involve success in Georgia, and it looks likely to remain that way this week.
He headed into The Masters in fine form, with McIlroy on two wins on the PGA Tour in 2025 so far, but finished poorly on Thursday to end on even par.
His last major championship arrived all the way back in 2014, when he won the PGA Championship for the second time.
Jack Nicklaus predicted Rory McIlroy to win ‘plenty of Masters’ titles in 2015
The career Grand Slam was on the cards the following year, with legendary figure Jack Nicklaus asked on Sky Sports back then if McIlroy needed to complete the career Grand Slam that week.
“No, he doesn’t have to do it this week,” Nicklaus said in 2015. “He’s got plenty of time to do it. Rory’s going to win plenty of Masters. He’s going to win a lot more majors.
“He’s going to be one of the greatest players that’s ever played the game. Be patient with him. Let him be patient. Don’t put so much pressure on him. Let him play golf.”
| Year | Tournament | Score | Margin |
| 2011 | U.S. Open | −16 (65-66-68-69=268) | 8 strokes |
| 2012 | PGA Championship | −13 (67-75-67-66=275) | 8 strokes |
| 2014 | The Open Championship | −17 (66-66-68-71=271) | 2 strokes |
| 2014 | PGA Championship (2) | −16 (66-67-67-68=268) | 1 stroke |
Jack Nicklaus leads Tiger Woods for most Masters wins
McIlroy finished fourth at The Masters in 2015, before going two better in 2022 to finish second for his best-ever result.
But that came in between two missed cuts at Augusta National, while last time out he could only finish T22.
Nicklaus meanwhile knows all about winning The Masters, with his six victories in Georgia more than any other player.
The iconic American figure, who has 18 major titles, clinched the green jacket in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986.
| Player | Total | Years |
| Jack Nicklaus | 6 | 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986 |
| Tiger Woods | 5 | 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019 |
| Arnold Palmer | 4 | 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964 |
McIlroy now has an 11th chance at the career Grand Slam this week, with Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Tiger Woods the only players to have achieved the feat.
He started his first round late on Thursday, where he was paired with fellow PGA Tour players Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia.
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