Rory McIlroy is currently shaping up for the Masters, where he will be looking to clinch the prestigious major for the first time – but he does have one major concern ahead of the Augusta tournament
All focus will be on Rory McIlroy as the Masters edges closer, with the Northern Irishman aiming for his first victory at Augusta. McIlroy’s last major success came at the 2014 US PGA Championship.
He’s not just out to shatter his Masters curse, however, he’s also chasing the elusive accolade of being only the sixth golfer to achieve a career Grand Slam at the April spectacle. McIlroy’s history with the Masters includes a heartbreaking squandered lead in 2011 and a close second-place behind current world No.1 Scottie Scheffler three years ago.
Nonetheless, he’s kicked off 2025 with a bang, grabbing wins at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Players Championship.
Here, Mirror Sport takes a look at all the latest news surrounding McIlroy as he heads into one of the biggest months of his career so far.
Injury concern
An injury worry has cropped up after McIlroy wrapped up his Houston Open prep with a stellar final round, finishing tied-fifth on Sunday. Despite his strong performance, the 35-year-old hinted at some discomfort, mentioning that his elbow has started “bothering” him.
The Masters is just over a week away, and there’s concern that the four-time major winner might not be in peak condition for the tournament.
“My right elbow has been bothering me a little bit so I’ll maybe just get some treatment on that and make sure that is OK going into Augusta,” McIlroy said to the Golf Channel.
“I’ve got my coach Michael Bannon coming in [on Monday]. We’ll do some work and make sure everything is in good shape for a week’s time.”
Matching Tiger Woods
McIlroy hit a milestone in Houston, becoming only the second golfer, alongside Tiger Woods, to surpass £77million ($100m) in career earnings on the PGA Tour, as per the Express. He reached this impressive mark by earning £262,000 ($338,000) for his four-way tie for fifth place.
Since his debut in 2010, McIlroy has secured 28 victories in 262 events on the Tour. In contrast, 49-year-old Woods reached the $100m prize money threshold back in 2012 and has now amassed a staggering £93.1m ($120m) with 82 wins from 378 events.
Phil Mickelson ranks third on the list with £75.3m ($97m), prior to his departure in 2022 to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. Dustin Johnson, another LIV recruit, comes in fourth with £59m ($76m), followed closely by Scheffler in fifth place with £58m ($75m).
Mentality questioned
McIlroy is likely to be feeling the heat ahead of the Masters and three-time Masters champion Sir Nick Faldo has urged him to overcome a potential mental hurdle that may have hindered his chances of success at Augusta in the past.
“I think there’s only Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw that have gone 11 years between two majors in about the last 40 years,” Faldo, 67, told Sky Sports. “He [McIlroy] has to forget that and he’s got to rewrite some of those things. He’s got to deal with that mental battle. He knows he’s got it physically and technically, just about.
“He’s 35, playing great. Can he just go to Augusta and absolutely clear all the pictures out from the past? It’s way easier said than done, but he could do it and I’ve got a feeling he might.
“Physical, we can just about see. You can see how strong somebody is, but you can’t see an injury. Technically, we can just about see it – you see the swing and what have you. Mental, we can’t see it and that’s purely hidden to the individual.
“For Rory? Physically, he’s got it. Technically, he’s got it. Where is he mentally? That is the key. He has got the battle of trying to delete 10 years of this gap and saying to us ‘I’m actually the best player in the world right now’. Because, let’s face it, he is.”
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