After completing the career Grand Slam and winning a Laureus, Rory McIlroy looks to the future
Rory McIlroy is giving his first major interview since becoming the fourth golfer to successfully defend the Masters.
To his second Green Jacket, he has just added the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, honouring the conclusion of his 11-year quest to complete the career Grand Slam that only five men before him had managed. He has just been asked how slaying the dragons of Augusta National has changed his perspective.
McIlroy smiles as he describes a recalibration that followed his journey to the top of the mountain. Now, he says, is the time for him to zero in on golf’s biggest prizes. “I always described [completing the Grand Slam] as the destination – that’s where I wanted to get to,” he says. “But I’m still competitive, I have a lot left to give. It took me a while, but I had to reframe my goals and think about ‘what’s next?’
“That was my fifth Major, I just got my sixth and I feel like I can keep adding to that tally. I’m at a point in my career where I have to target the bigger events, the four Major championships, the Ryder Cup. Trying to add to that number is something that's really important to me.”
McIlroy smiles as he describes a recalibration that followed his journey to the top of the mountain. Now, he says, is the time for him to zero in on golf’s biggest prizes. “I always described [completing the Grand Slam] as the destination – that’s where I wanted to get to,” he says. “But I’m still competitive, I have a lot left to give. It took me a while, but I had to reframe my goals and think about ‘what’s next?’
“That was my fifth Major, I just got my sixth and I feel like I can keep adding to that tally. I’m at a point in my career where I have to target the bigger events, the four Major championships, the Ryder Cup. Trying to add to that number is something that's really important to me.”
In a fascinating and revealing interview, McIlroy also spoke about how he was inspired by legends from across sport who have continued to win in the latter years of their career - and how one in particular became a cheerleader for his 2026 Masters win, supporting McIlroy on the course and with nightly messages.
“I got a lot of inspiration from athletes that are maybe at the back end of their careers, and still able to achieve these great things. And I think of Novak and Roger and Rafa in tennis, or I look at Messi or Ronaldo in soccer, I look at Tom Brady in American football. I take inspiration from those guys and what they were able to achieve later into their careers.
“I saw Rafa a lot at Augusta and to have his support… he'd leave me little voice notes at the end of every day and it's really cool when you have one of the absolute legends of sport cheering you on like that, and him knowing what it feels like to be in that position – that's really cool.”
McIlroy – who won his second Laureus at the 2026 Awards in Madrid – also reflected on an extraordinary experience in India following his 2025 win at Augusta, where he joined cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to bring the Green Jacket to the sub-continent for the first time.
“One of the coolest experiences for me was being able to bring the Green Jacket to India,” he said. “It was the first time a Green Jacket has ever been in that country. And I did an event with Sachin Tendulkar, which was absolutely incredible.”
“I got a lot of inspiration from athletes that are maybe at the back end of their careers, and still able to achieve these great things. And I think of Novak and Roger and Rafa in tennis, or I look at Messi or Ronaldo in soccer, I look at Tom Brady in American football. I take inspiration from those guys and what they were able to achieve later into their careers.
“I saw Rafa a lot at Augusta and to have his support… he'd leave me little voice notes at the end of every day and it's really cool when you have one of the absolute legends of sport cheering you on like that, and him knowing what it feels like to be in that position – that's really cool.”
McIlroy – who won his second Laureus at the 2026 Awards in Madrid – also reflected on an extraordinary experience in India following his 2025 win at Augusta, where he joined cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to bring the Green Jacket to the sub-continent for the first time.
“One of the coolest experiences for me was being able to bring the Green Jacket to India,” he said. “It was the first time a Green Jacket has ever been in that country. And I did an event with Sachin Tendulkar, which was absolutely incredible.”
