One Grand Slam. Nine majors. 160 professional victories across six continents. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Gary Player has the sort of legacy most pros dream about these days. At 90, Player is somewhat miffed at fellow grand slammer Rory McIlroy and his apparent lack of motivation to accomplish more.
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“I hear Rory with the best swing in the world saying, ‘Now I’ve won the Grand Slam, I don’t have the same desire to play a lot.’ Man, he should be saying, ‘I want to win another Grand Slam’. I’m shocked,” Player told The Golf Supply.
Player was talking about Rory McIlroy‘s admission that he is becoming increasingly selective with his tournament schedule as he looks to balance professional golf with spending more time with his family. Moreover, the Ulsterman also admitted that after winning the Masters, he felt demotivated for a period of time. McIlroy felt he had achieved everything he had dreamt of, and that resulted in a short slump where his best golf left him.
At 37, McIlroy also feels it’s time to rethink how much time he wants to invest in golf. After his Tour Championship campaign, McIlroy admitted that he no longer wants to play events simply because he feels obligated to. Gary Player seemed baffled by it, and it was not the only thing he found ‘strange’ about the Ulsterman.
“And then he says, ‘I don’t believe in hitting a lot of balls’. Well, that’s c–p. If you hit a lot of balls, you build up determination, and it makes you work harder, makes your muscles better. He comes out with very strange things.”
The 37-year-old explained that his three-week run through the FedExCup Playoffs was already close to his limit, adding, “I rarely do that anymore, and I feel like that is my limit.”
Reflecting on playing four straight tournaments back in 2024, McIlroy said, “I am never doing that again,” before acknowledging that after nearly two decades as a professional, “my fuse is a little shorter than it used to be.”
Having won his career Grand Slam and successfully defended his Masters title earlier this year, the World No. 2 feels he has accomplished almost everything there is to achieve. As a result, he now wants to spend more time with his wife, Erica, and daughter, Poppy, something reflected in his reduced PGA Tour schedule. However, Gary Player’s disappointment carries a deeper meaning, as he believes Rory McIlroy still has plenty left to accomplish.
The thing is, while Rory has joined the rare group of five players ever to complete a career Grand Slam, he is not one of the two who have done it twice. Of course, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only players in history to achieve that feat. With six majors under his belt, McIlroy has a rare opportunity to join them, something even Gary Player could not accomplish despite his highly decorated career in the sport.
Not to mention, if the Northern Irishman pursues that accolade, he could overtake both Tiger Woods and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list. He will have opportunities to make a run at that milestone throughout the 2027 season. Yet, even if he chooses not to heed Player’s advice, McIlroy will still go down as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
McIlroy is a seven-time Race to Dubai champion, a three-time FedExCup champion, and a 30-time PGA Tour winner who has spent over 100 weeks ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Interestingly, McIlroy’s current stance contrasts with comments he made in May 2026. In a Laureus interview, he said that despite reaching his final destination—completing a Grand Slam—he felt competitive and had more to offer. But he has not defined that ambition in terms of numbers.
He is not chasing the lofty goal of surpassing Jack Nicklaus or completing the career grand slam twice. McIlroy is looking to play more global events. He is finding joy in winning Ryder Cups, playing in tournaments that he hasn’t played before, and just performing well in the major championships. Irrespective of his choice, McIlroy is a winner.
The six-time major champion is currently competing at the Irish Open, which he has already won twice, and will do so in front of United States President Donald Trump, who will be on a two-day visit to Ireland.
Whether McIlroy remains hungry for more or succumbs to his desire to step away remains to be seen. But as far as Gary Player is concerned, there is still plenty more the Northern Irishman can accomplish.