Rory McIlroy may have mixed feelings about his latest major championship, having just finished T19 at the US Open.
McIlroy produced a record-breaking final round at the US Open, finishing his tournament with a three-under 67.
But that followed early struggles at Oakmont, with five-time major champion McIlroy only just making the cut in Pennsylvania.
McIlroy didn’t care about making the US Open cut, but he was able to climb the leaderboard after that admission.
He was making his 11th start of the 2025 PGA Tour season at Oakmont, having already clinched three wins.
Lydia Ko suggests what Rory McIlroy thinks about his career after Masters win
That includes The Masters at Augusta National, with the victory helping him complete the career grand slam.
And his success has now been discussed by LPGA Tour star Lydia Ko, who was tasked with comparing their careers ahead of this week’s Women’s PGA Championship.
Asked how she found the after affect of achieving her dreams and how she repositioned herself to find a new goal, Ko replied: “I think I thought my life or maybe the way I thought about myself would change when I got in the Hall of Fame and did a lot of the things I wanted to do before it actually happened, and I’m sure Rory is thinking the same in similar parts, where everybody was like, oh, Masters is the one he was missing.
“Like what if? And then he did it. And as much as I’m sure he’s so happy and relieved, he’s just as good the day before, like before he won it.
“It’s just… I think that’s what I kind of came to peace with. I think sometimes when it’s right there in front of you and see all these statistics, you feel like you should do more.
“I think that some of the things we’ve already gotten, we take for granted. I think that’s what I realized most, and that’s what made me realize I’ve still got to go out there and practice and put in the time to play well the week after.
“That’s the thing about golf. Our season is so long that there’s really not much time to just kind of relax. Even the off-season goes by so fast. There’s not much time to honestly sit down on that thought.
“I’m pretty sure he wanted to win the U.S. Open when he teed it up. It’s the same. We’re greedy in that sense, like nothing will fulfill us fully until we’re done.
“I think that’s… I don’t think that’s a bad way of putting it. I think that’s the reason why we play. That’s why he’s at his level because of his competitiveness.”
What has LPGA Tour star Lydia Ko achieved ahead of Women’s PGA Championship?
Just like McIlroy, LPGA Tour legend Ko certainly knows all about what it takes to enjoy a hugely successful career.
The Hall of Famer is a former world number one and boasts 23 LPGA Tour titles, including three major championships.
They arrived at The Evian Championships, ANA Inspiration (now Chevron Championship) and the Women’s British Open.
A maiden Women’s PGA Championship title is now being eyed by the New Zealander, who is also yet to win the US Women’s Open.
The latest major of the 2025 LPGA Tour season starts on Thursday, with Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco hosting the Women’s PGA Championship.
Stunning success elsewhere is, however, on the CV of the 28-year-old, with Ko boasting gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympics.
She completed the set with the top prize in Paris last year, following silver and bronze in Rio and Tokyo respectively.
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