Rory McIlroy finally joined the Grand Slam club after winning The Masters at Augusta National back in April on what was his 17th attempt at snaring a green jacket.
McIlroy‘s thrilling win at Augusta National was a long time coming – he had seven top-10s and four top-5s at The Masters before this year.
The entire golfing world congratulated McIlroy after his Masters win, and it was so fulfilling to see him finally get over the line at Augusta.
McIlroy’s shots on the 15th and the 17th on Sunday at The Masters were special, and there is an argument to be made that he is the only player in the game who can hit those kinds of towering draws.
The Northern Irishman was desperate to win at Augusta National, and it seemed like he would never get the job done, until this year of course.
He will be looking forward to going back to Augusta to defend his title in 2026, although there is a small chance he could be handed one of the most awkward groupings in Masters history.
Rory McIlroy could have an awkward Masters grouping in 2026
The story starts way back at The Players Championship in March.
McIlroy was heckled by Luke Potter – a spectator and talented young amateur golfer – during one of his practice rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
Potter, a University of Texas golfer, allegedly made a comment regarding the 2011 Masters when McIlroy hit his tee shot on the 18th hole.
The Masters champion walked over to Potter, asked to see his phone, and took it off him before walking away with it.
The young American amateur, 21, was asked to leave the premises, before his phone was returned to him later on.
McIlroy refused to discuss the incident after, while Potter offered an apology to the 36-year-old.
He said: “Look, I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it. I apologize for it. That’s about all that needs to be said. It’s just a good learning experience. Yeah, I apologize.“
Interestingly, Potter is set to tee it up at the US Amateur at The Olympic Club this week.
Potter is currently ranked as the 32nd best amateur golfer in the world, so it’s not outside the realms of reality that he could win the US Amateur.
Rory McIlroy and Luke Potter pairing at The Masters would be great viewing
If he does go on to win the event in San Francisco, he will play alongside McIlroy at the Masters next year, due to Augusta National’s tradition of pairing the previous year’s champion with the winner of the US Amateur.
In 2025, Jose Luis Ballester, now with LIV Golf, was paired with 2024 champions Scottie Scheffler.
Other big-name groupings in recent history include Viktor Hovland and Patrick Reed in 2019, Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth in 2016 and Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo in 1997.
While the opportunity to play with McIlroy at The Masters in 2026 would be the stuff that dreams are made of for Potter, the meeting on the first tee might just be a little awkward, for both men.
However, for the fans it would be absolute box-office entertainment.
That said, the 21-year-old still has to win the US Amateur in order to secure a tee time with the Masters champion at Augusta National next year, and that in itself is incredibly difficult to do.
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