Rory McIlroy, the recent winner of the Masters at Augusta, made a lighthearted comment about wearing his green jacket at Old Trafford, home of his favorite soccer team Manchester United. He joked that it might inspire better play. However, it remains to be seen if Augusta National would allow him to do so, as they did not permit Jon Rahm to wear a similar garment at San Mames after his victory. Nevertheless, Ruben Amorim, the coach of Manchester United, expressed his excitement at the possibility of McIlroy’s visit and invited him to Old Trafford to showcase his trophy. Manchester United is currently ranked 14th in the Premier League standings.
A POTENTIAL GRAND SLAM VICTORY
Paige Spiranac distracts her opponents with the way she recovers after stumbling on the golf course
McIlroy’s busy schedule might make it challenging for him to visit Manchester, considering he is in the midst of the season and the PGA Championship, the second major of the year, is just a month away. Interestingly, McIlroy has already won four times at Quail Hollow Club, where the championship will take place. If he were to secure a victory there, it would spark discussions about the possibility of achieving a Grand Slam in the same season. However, the odds of such a feat are incredibly slim, as no golfer has accomplished it with the current four majors.
LEADING THE PGA TOUR IN EARNINGS
Rory McIlroy (35) is on track to become the highest earner in PGA Tour history. He recently became only the second golfer to surpass the $100 million mark, with his earnings totaling $104 million. The only player ahead of him is Tiger Woods, who has accumulated $121 million throughout his career. It’s worth noting that the prize money in golf has significantly increased compared to Woods’ prime years. However, Scottie Scheffler (28) is not far behind McIlroy, with earnings of $76 million. Phil Mickelson, who recently joined LIV Golf and was subsequently removed from the rankings, had earned $96 million.
AIMING FOR THE WORLD NUMBER ONE RANKING
McIlroy has had an exceptional start to the year, winning three PGA Tour tournaments, including The Players and the Masters. Only Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler have achieved this double in the same year. Despite his impressive performances, McIlroy will not be able to regain the world number one ranking until at least the US Open. Additionally, Scheffler, who had a remarkable 2024 season, has been performing well since his return from hand surgery. This week, he is defending his RBC Heritage title.
CLOSING IN ON EUROPEAN MAJOR RECORDS
McIlroy recently secured his fifth major victory, completing the Grand Slam, a feat accomplished by only six players in history. With this win, he is just one major away from matching Nick Faldo’s record. However, Harry Vardon, a British player born in Jersey, holds the record for the most majors won by a European player, with seven titles in the late 19th century.
SEEKING REDEMPTION AT THE BRITISH OPEN
Although it is not an immediate goal, the announcement that The Open will return to St. Andrews in 2027 has surely pleased many players, including McIlroy. He had a disappointing experience at the 2022 edition, where he finished third, two strokes behind the winner Cam Smith, despite being the favorite to win on the final day. A victory at St. Andrews would undoubtedly be a crowning achievement in McIlroy’s career.
CHASING SERGIO GARCIA’S RYDER CUP RECORD
Surpassing Sergio Garcia’s record in the Ryder Cup seems like a challenging task. The tournament takes place every two years, and success cannot be guaranteed regardless of individual skills. McIlroy has accumulated 18 points in his seven Ryder Cup appearances, with his best performance being four points at Marco Simone in 2023. However, Garcia currently holds the all-time record with 28.5 points. Both players still have several editions ahead of them, but it remains to be seen if McIlroy can catch up with Garcia’s impressive record. Garcia missed out on the Rome edition due to his involvement with LIV Golf.
