For Rory McIlroy, winning the Masters is more a case of relief than anything. This was the stage that had proved cumbersome for him since the start of his career. Getting on to the professional golfing circuit as a teenager, the Northern Irish golfer was to be the next big thing in golf. For the most part, he lived up to the tag, racing to four majors within seven years of turning professional. But the Masters failed to bow down to his expertise. He had fallen short multiple times, and nearly 11 years after his last major win, McIlroy claimed the victory in Georgia that had been in the cards for a long time. He has achieved almost everything in the world of golf that was there to be achieved. With his win, he got a walk to the Butler Cabin, and this was a special moment for him, indeed. But it was momentous for Scottie Scheffler, too.

Once inside the cozy cabin, Rory McIlroy was presented with the iconic Green Jacket by this year’s defending champion, Scottie Scheffler. “It was really cool for me to be there in that moment, to be able to congratulate him and just see the joy on him,” Scheffler said of witnessing the historic Grand Slam moment. Speaking to the press ahead of his title defense at the RBC Heritage Open, Scottie Scheffler also shed some light on what he thinks this win meant for him and Rory McIlroy.

“In that moment, like it was such an emotional day for him, I kind of just tried to stay out of the way and basically get the jacket on without embarrassing him or myself. I got to watch the whole celebration. I watched the finish. It was really cool for me to be able to see because I don’t have the understanding of what it’s like to be asked about the career Grand Slam, but I have a small understanding of what it’s like to be asked, Hey, you accomplished this, but you haven’t accomplished that. It can be very taxing on people sometimes.” The world No. 1 explained his feelings at the moment. Scheffler has won 2 majors so far, both Masters, so he knows the feeling of being in that room, but he’s elusive to the feeling of being a Grand Slam holder. Scottie failed to defend his major title by 3 strokes. He finished all four rounds at Augusta with a cumulative score of 8 under par.

Scheffler also appreciates the gravity of the victory. It is not just a simple Masters victory, not that there is anything simple in that. McIlroy’s victory transcends Augusta and is a headliner for what has been a brilliant career that just never had the completion before April 2025.

“It was cool to be able to see Rory get the job done. Definitely from the outside it looked a lot more like relief than anything. Rory has accomplished everything in the game of golf, and that was really the last thing for him to accomplish. The guy has won the FedExCup, THE PLAYERS, and all four majors. Maybe the only other thing would be the Olympics, which is what he would want to win. So for him, it was really cool for me to be there in that moment. He’s a good friend of mine. To be able to congratulate him and just see the joy on him and his family was really cool.” Scheffler added.

Scheffler understands the sacrifices and efforts that come with success. Which is why he tried to maintain a low profile and let the moment resonate with Rory McIlroy. Especially a historic one at that. This was the sixth career grand slam in golf history.

McIlroy joins the Career Grand Slam club

Rory McIlroy became only the sixth player in history to win all four majors during their career. He joins a list of celebrated golfers that includes Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and the Big Cat himself, Tiger Woods. McIlroy has the biggest time difference between his first major and the major in which he completed the Career Grand Slam, with the whole process taking him nearly 14 years to achieve.

It is very easy to see the effort and dedication the Northern Irish golfer has to his craft and his refusal to give up ever since he turned professional in 2007. The young Rory McIlroy would be very proud of how his career has shaped up today.

McIlroy will already be focusing on his next goal, which should be the only golf ‘silverware’ not on his plate—the Olympic gold. With the addition of a mixed team event as well, the chances are looking very promising for the 35-year-old, with Los Angeles 2028 just three years away. Do you think Rory can one-up all the greats and start a new club with the Olympic Gold, the one meant for Career Grand Slam winners who have the gold medal at the quadrennial event?