With Grand Slam Complete, Rory McIlroy Eyes Third PGA Championship Trophy

Rory McIlroy was destined to be the overwhelming favorite heading into this weekend’s 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. With three PGA Tour victories this season — including a historic triumph at the Masters that completed his long-sought career Grand Slam — Mr. McIlroy arrives with momentum and history on his side.Add to that a remarkable four wins at the annual PGA Tour stop on this very course, and, clearly, Quail Hollow isn’t just familiar territory; it’s where he dominates.“It’s always nice to come back to Quail Hollow for obvious reasons,” Mr. McIlroy said hours before Thursday’s opening round of the year’s second major championship. “I thought it would feel different because it’s a major championship. But it felt no different. The rough is juicer. It’s just a matter of making sure the game is in a good spot and hitting the golf shots when the gun goes off.”Even a soggy forecast plays into Mr. McIlroy’s hands, as the Irishman has a history of using his length and power off the tee to overcome wet conditions. He won his first major, the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, in damp conditions, and also won PGA Championships at Valhalla (2014) and Kiawah Island (2012), two long and often wet courses. With a 50 percent chance of rain over the weekend, Quail Hollow could easily turn into Mr. McIlroy’s personal playground.“Early in my career, I believed these conditions favored me more,” Mr. McIlroy said. “But I believe firm conditions favor me. I believe any conditions we play, I have the ability and skillset to excel.”Regardless of conditions, all eyes are on Mr. McIlroy this weekend after his thrilling playoff victory last month over Justin Rose at Augusta National, where he earned his first Green Jacket and completed the career grand slam that had eluded him since he won the Open Championship in 2014.The quest seemed to weigh heavily on Mr. McIlroy, evidenced by his emotional reaction after sinking the winning putt at the Masters to join an exclusive group of Grand Slam achievers that includes Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.Mr. McIlroy admitted that every time he watches a replay of his winning putt, “I feel like I want to cry. I never felt a release like that before,” he said, “and I might not ever feel a release like that again.”Xander Schauffele, winner of the 2024 PGA Championship, suggested that having the pressure of winning his first major in 10 years and completing the grand slam lifted from Mr. McIlroy’s shoulders “could be a pretty scary thing.”Indeed, Mr. McIlroy, a five-time major winner, said that everything he accomplishes in the remainder of his career is a bonus. “I’ve done everything I wanted to do in the game,” he said. “I dreamed as a child of becoming the best player in the world and winning all the majors. I’ve done that.”Make no mistake: He still wants to win every time he tees it up, including this weekend. Although he insists he’s “still the same person,” the commentary and expectations around him have changed. He has achieved golf’s greatest feat.“I feel like I sort of burdened myself with the career grand slam,” Mr. McIlroy said. “I want to enjoy the last decade of my career and not burden myself with numbers or statistics. I just want to play the best golf I can.”It’s natural to expect the best from Mr. McIlroy at Quail Hollow. The 36-year-old won his first PGA Tour event there in 2010, when he shot 62 in the final round to beat Phil Mickelson by four strokes. He won again in 2015, 2021, and last year, when he finished five strokes clear of Mr. Schauffele, who defeated Bryson DeChambeau by a stroke at the PGA Championship last year at Valhalla Golf Course.Mr. DeChambeau, a LIV golfer, played in the final group with Mr. McIlroy at the Masters and wondered why the eventual winner didn’t speak to him the entire round. He got the answer on Wednesday.‘I’m not sure what he was expecting,” Mr. McIlroy said. “We’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not trying to be best mates out there.”Despite accomplishing all of his career goals, Mr. McIlroy has plenty of competitive fire remaining. He’s matched with Mr. Schauffele and the world no. 1, Scottie Scheffler, for the first two rounds.“I turn up and try to have the same attitude and approach for each and every tournament and try to get the best out of myself,” Mr. McIlroy said. “Some weeks that results in wins, and sometimes it doesn’t. As long as I approach every week this way and play the kind of golf I’m capable of, I’ll give myself a chance. You keep playing until you run out of holes, and hopefully your score is better than everyone else’s.”

With Grand Slam Complete, Rory McIlroy Eyes Third PGA Championship Trophy

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