What next for Rory McIlroy? Golf legends predict his final major tally

After completing the career Grand Slam at Augusta, Rory McIlroy looks set to chase down golf’s greatest records. Here’s what the experts – and Rory himself – think happens next.

After finally completing the career Grand Slam at Augusta, Rory McIlroy looks set to chase down golf’s greatest records. From Butch Harmon to Jack Nicklaus, here’s what the experts – and Rory himself – think happens next.

After an 11-year major drought, Rory McIlroy finally got his hands on the one prize that had eluded him – the green jacket. His emotional victory at Augusta wasn’t just the completion of a career Grand Slam; it could be the start of something even bigger. With the monkey off his back and a packed summer ahead, the question on everyone’s lips is simple: how many majors will Rory win from here? Some of the biggest names in golf have had their say…

Butch Harmon

This is going to change Rory. He is going to take off and win major after major after major.

Padraig Harrington

The Masters was a distinctly different tournament for Rory. Now he is over that. He asked in his press conference: ‘what are we going to talk about next year?’

Well, we’re going to talk about this year and whether he can make the yearly grand slam. We are going to talk about whether he can beat Nick Faldo at six majors, or whether he can get to ten majors. We’re going to talk about whether he can get to 15 majors and whether he can get to 18 majors.

The beauty for Rory is his game is futureproof. He’s not a guy who gets injured. He’s extremely powerful. It doesn’t matter that all these kids coming out of college are hitting it miles. It doesn’t matter to Rory. He is already the longest and nobody is going to have an advantage over him. They might eat in to his advantage, but his game is future-proof.

Colt Knost

Rory kind of likes Quail Hollow a little bit – he’s only won there four times. In 13 events, he has 10 top-10s. He makes this golf course look like a pitch-and-putt with some of the lines he takes. I think Rory gets it done at the PGA here.

I just think this is going to be a massive year for this guy. Last time The Open was at Portrush, he started off with a little eight on the first hole. He was all the talk going in. He’s from Northern Ireland. He’s the hometown favourite. Had the weight of the country on his back and proceeded to hit two balls out of bounds to start the tournament. I have a feeling he’s out for revenge when it comes back to Royal Portrush. I have Rory McIlroy picking up the Claret Jug.

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Nick Dougherty

I’ve always had a huge amount of faith that he was going to get across the line at Augusta. Now he’s broken through that barrier, I have a much, much higher expectation for what he will do in the majors because I thought it was just such a massive burden.

It couldn’t come at a better time. Wind at his back, course he’s had success at – there’s a very good chance he snaps up the PGA Championship.

Jack Nicklaus

He’s as talented a player as there is out there, and he’s got a lot more majors in him.

Xander Schauffele

He is a generational talent. If that [the Masters] was something that was holding him back and now he feels free, that could be a pretty scary thing.

He has all the tools. I’ve played against him when he’s firing on all cylinders and it’s not fun for me. It’s fun for everyone else to watch but it’s hard to beat.

Would I be surprised if he started rattling some [majors] off? No. Am I going to be there to try and stop him? Absolutely.

Dame Laura Davies

He might win five or six more majors now as he will never feel pressure like that again, trying to get the Grand Slam.

He will win the PGA Championship – I absolutely have no question about it. He’s going to be the most light-hearted. He’s going to relish every press conference that he does.

He loves the golf course. He has no fears now because he doesn’t have to think about ‘I’m never going to get the green jacket’ because he’s got it. Everything else from this point onwards is easy.

Trust me. It’s just the way it’s going to be. At the Open, I don’t know about that one. He had that horrible start around Royal Portrush. So whether that’s going to hamper him round there, I don’t know.

Andrew Coltart

The monkey is off his back. I think we’re going to start to see the Rory McIlroy we always knew was in there but for the last 11 years has struggled to come out.

Paul McGinley

I think it’s a different Rory, an evolution of Rory. There is mental resilience there that might not have been there. He’s got strategies, he digs deep, and he can win when he’s not right on it. He’s on a path to maybe win more.

Now that he’s climbed Everest, does he lose a little bit? When you reach something you’ve desired so much, you kind of soften, but I don’t think so. I think he’s going to keep going.

I’ve said that if he wins one major, he’ll win three or four. I don’t think he’s done winning majors this year. He’s got some great chances to add to it.

And the man himself?

To be able to get through that and produce the shots when I needed to, that obviously gives me confidence, and I can always draw back on that experience.

Honestly, I feel like I’m playing with house money, now. It’s going to free me up and hopefully this is the start of a really great period in my career.

The next major is at Quail Hollow, somewhere I have loved for the most part of my career. There’s The Open at [Royal] Portrush. The Ryder Cup at Bethpage.

There’s a lot of golf left this year. I’ve gotten off to a great start, obviously, and I can’t wait to keep it going.

You can’t win all four majors in a year if you haven’t won the first one…

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