There is not a lot that Rory McIlroy has not yet experienced in the game of golf, but The Masters in 2026 will certainly have a unique feel to it for the Northern Irishman.
Rory McIlroy will finally get to enjoy returning to Augusta National as a past champion in April. Of course, the 36-year-old managed to win the first major of 2025 following one of the most enthralling days of golf ever seen.
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McIlroy overcame all sorts of drama to beat Justin Rose in a playoff to write his name in Augusta National folklore.
But there was an even more exclusive club McIlroy joined with his win.
What Rory McIlroy wants to do when he gets to Augusta National for The Masters this year
Few players dealt with the kind of pressure McIlroy faced every time The Masters came around. Since winning The Open Championship in 2014, he has been a Masters victory away from completing the Career Grand Slam.
Just five players had previously won all four of the current majors. Sadly, neither Gene Sarazen nor Ben Hogan were alive to welcome McIlroy to the club.
But with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods the only other players to lift all four titles, McIlroy explained to Stick to Football this week how special it was to win The Masters at long last and join them.
“Even now you hear those names and you get imposter syndrome, like I’m not supposed to be on that list. It’s incredible,” he said.
“Six have done it, there’s four living. The one thing I want to do is I want to get the four of us that are living – Jack, Gary, Tiger, myself – and do a picture at Augusta next year with our green jackets on.”
The two players one win away from completing the Career Grand Slam in 2026
Golf had to wait nearly 25 years for a sixth Career Grand Slam winner. But there is a very slim chance that two more players could join the club in 2026. As things stand, Phil Mickelson will not be in the field for the US Open this year.
Of course, it feels almost inevitable at this stage that Scottie Scheffler will add his name to the list sooner rather than later. The world number one is now just a US Open victory away.
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Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth has needed to win the PGA Championship since 2017 to complete the Career Grand Slam. He has finished second and third at the event in the past.
Obviously, Scheffler’s victory looks a lot more likely right now. But you just can never rule Spieth out.
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