Rory McIlroy enters Masters week as determined as ever to join the greats of the game by winning his first Green Jacket.

The world number two has won all the other three majors (PGA Championship twice) but the Augusta prize has eluded him, with the most memorable chance being with a four shot lead going into the final day of the 2011 Masters, when a final round 80 turned the dream into a final position of tied-15th.

The Jupiter resident also had chances at the 2016 and 2018 runnings, leading at halfway at the eventful event won by Danny Willett, and when in  second place after three rounds at the latter, before a final round 74 dropped him six shots behind Patrick Reed at the line.

With time comes maturity, and whilst there must still remain a degree of pressure, the 33-year-old is now well over the stigma of being the ‘next Big Thing’, whether that be Tiger Woods or any of the many other legends that have graced the game.

In that respect, McIlroy recognizes the demands of young talent in any sport, and in a recent interview with The Telegraph, spoke of his admiration for new tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz.

Both players have set their respective sporting worlds alight with their achievements at an early age.

McIlroy set numerous scoring records when winning the US Open in 2011 before becoming the second youngest ever player to reach the summit of the world rankings. He’s been the youngest ever to earn $10million in earnings on the tour, and in 2019 became the youngest ever player to spend 500 weeks inside the world top 10.

Stat of the week:

This week, 30.5 yo @McIlroyRory becomes the youngest player ever to spend 500 weeks inside the top 10 in the world ??

Tiger needed ~4 months longer to reach this remarkable #OWGR milestone.

NONE of the known younger stars could possibly break this record??

— Nosferatu (@VC606) November 11, 2019

In the case of Alcaraz, his win at the US Open last year meant he became the youngest winner of the major since Pete Sampras in 1990 and the youngest world number one in the history of the ATP.

At 19 years of age, much is expected of the Spaniard, and McIlroy can empathize with the problems that go along with comparisons to the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He also took time to admire the outlook and public persona of another potential sporting great.

 “I’ve been reading Alcaraz’s interviews, he said. “I mean, to have this philosophy and, more so, the understanding and the conviction at the age he is and with all the pressure he’s had and the expectation on him to be the next big thing as that golden age comes to an end… well, it’s incredible really. A lot of what he says sticks with me, but especially one bit.”

McIlroy also recognizes the need to ‘enjoy’ the job and to realize there is little gain in trying to be ‘new (insert any previous relevant legend that will get headlines)’.

Explaining why he enjoys listening and reading Alcaraz’s scripts, McIlroy says his view is, “fantastic isn’t it? Listen to that-‘joy and instinct’. What a lovely, beautiful and very plain ambition to have.”

Rory continues, “It is what every kid has when they first play a sport and what invariably then gets lost when the really good ones progress and turn professional.”

McIlroy is, of course, no stranger to the pressure put on tennis stars, having been a previous fiance of former female tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

“Alcaraz is not trying to be the new Federer or new Nadal or new Djokovic–he is just trying to play tennis as he wants to, but also to the best of his ability in a way that the fans will love. He talks of not making everything monotonous and life being more fun that way and his tennis being more fun to watch.” 

He knows that at the very top of any sport, there is not only an expectation of victory, but sometimes a less ‘human’ side that maybe loses sight of the world around them.

“Of course, you need your structure and to put in the hours and to grind and be ‘professional’, but you should not lose sight that this is a privilege and the moments should be enjoyed. There’s so much more to it than winning, although, of course, that’s what you yearn for. And maybe just relishing in the moment was why I acted like I did on the 18th last year at Augusta.”

That incident was one of the most joyous seen on a golf course, and certainly by someone that was likely not to win the trophy.

McIlroy explains, “Scottie [Scheffler, eventual champion] was four or five clear of me at the time, but he was on Amen Corner and I suppose you never know with the 12th and everything. But I definitely wasn’t thinking ‘here comes my Green Jacket now’. I wasn’t’ standing over that bunker shot, thinking, ‘make this and you could get a play off’. I was totally in the moment thinking, ‘how the hell do I get this close?’.” 

“It was difficult. I had to aim well up the slope, would have taken eight to 10 feet all day. But then it dropped, and I exploded. Collin then holed his–pandemonium! I’m telling you that’s as much fun as I’ve ever had on a golf course. And I’m also telling you that the second best time I’ve had like that was when I was in the final group with Tiger when he won at the Tour Championship [in 2018], his first title in five years. The atmosphere was amazing. So there you go. My two most favourite moments like that, have been when I’ve not won.”

“So it might have seemed a little victory to some – but it was a huge victory to me. That was the first time I’d ever left Augusta happy. Sure, I’d done well there before – I’d had something like six top-10s in the previous eight years – but that was the first time I’d left there with a big smile on my face. And with my history at Augusta, that was really notable for me.”

” But maybe last year helped to put the positive memories to the forefront of my mind.

If nothing else, I know I can enjoy myself there. And I fully intend to.”

With the words of his much younger hero ringing in his ears, who can argue this is the time for McIlroy to finally land the career Slam?

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