Rory McIlroy is now a Grand Slam champion after his dramatic win at The Masters on Sunday.
However, Curtis Strange couldn’t resist making a slight criticism of Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman completed the Grand Slam.
Rory finally won The Masters on his 16th attempt at trying. Now nobody would be surprised to see him go on and win several more.
Could he match Tiger Woods, with five green jackets? That may well be out of reach for McIlroy, but it’s certainly not impossible.
Rory McIlroy’s win at The Master was the most impactful golfing victory of all-time, according to Butch Harmon.
It was undoubtedly the most exciting major to watch over the past couple of decades.
And that was most likely because it was far from plain sailing for Rory.
Curtis Strange finds Rory McIlroy ‘frustrating’ despite Masters win, Tiger Woods comparison made
What made McIlroy’s victory around Augusta on Sunday so special was that he so clearly demonstrated his vulnerabilities, alongside his majestic talent.
Strange was speaking on the Fairways of Life with Matt Adams Golf Show about Rory’s Masters win.
And the two-time US Open champion made an interesting observation about the 35-year-old:
“You would like to play well enough not to have that as an issue at all, but that is not the game of golf we play. There is always some luck involved every time you go on a golf course.
“In a round like Rory, I think a couple of things, the immediate thing is that he is fortunate that DeChambeau did not play a good round of golf. I thought DeChambeau would break 70. I thought DeChambeau might go to 67 or 68, which means that now Rory has got to play a little bit. He was fortunate that didn’t happen.
“He seemed to get out of it what he should have. Rory is a frustrating golfer in a lot of respects, in that Tiger spoiled us all. He played such good golf, other than some tee shots here and there, but he played so consistently. He never seemed to lose the lead if he had it. He put his thumb on your throat and always admitted that. That did not happen on Sunday. Rory lost the lead on the first hole, came back admirably, lost it again, took a four shot lead to the back side and you think you have got it done, I am home free. No, you’re not and you’re never home free because you start to protect and those behind start to play aggressive golf.
“As we always see, Amen Corner, and 13 and 15 – the reachable par fives – with the water, I can’t put into words the effect those two holes have on a 72 hole golf tournament over four days and they always seem to elevate on Sunday.”
It’s a fair comment from Strange, but a little harsh on McIlroy at the same time.
Tiger Woods was in a league of his own when it came to closing out golf tournaments, and let’s face it, Rory’s not too bad at doing just that either!
What bitter LIV player said about Rory McIlroy winning The Masters
Back in 2024, a really big claim was made about Rory potentially winning around Augusta National.
LIV Golf player Talor Gooch suggested that if McIlroy ever completes the Grand Slam at The Masters, it should come with an asterisk above his name:
“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his (career) grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk,” Gooch told Australian Golf Digest last year. “It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”
What a ridiculous comment that was.
Rory McIlroy is now a Masters champion and a Grand Slam member, and there is certainly no asterisk sitting above his name.
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