In 2001, the 25-year-old Tiger Woods accomplished something that no one had ever done in golf’s history: after winning the 2001 Masters, following a series of three major wins in 2000 (the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship), he became the first golfer to hold all major titles simultaneously. His victory came with a perfect performance in the Sunday round of 68, something that Rory McIlroy, the golfer who broke the sport’s 23-year drought for a Grand Slam win, did not experience, leading to polar opposite reactions in the golf world.

One of the popular opinions rejects the idea of Rory McIlroy achieving “Tiger Woods-like” dominance in the golf world. For instance, when veteran golf writer Michael Bamberger sat down for a discussion on 5 Clubs about McIlroy’s career Grand Slam, he said, “I think he got very lucky to win that tournament. He knows he got lucky.” Bamberger’s claim isn’t entirely wrong, as McIlroy made several mistakes in his final round, including double bogeys. Despite these errors, another golf journalist, Frank Nobilo, believes Rory McIlroy is a “leader” in the game for one specific reason.

Sitting down for an interview on 5 Clubs, Nobilo brings a completely different perspective. Talking about how Woods changed the game with his competition, his way of dealing with social pressure, and more, Nobilo added, “So, we had a fix of that, and no one player was ever going to replace Tiger Woods. We sort of needed an ensemble, and the leader of that ensemble, in my opinion, is Rory, for all the reasons you’ve just mentioned—the human element.

“And I hope we don’t lose too much of it because I like it when he actually hits the silly shot, the simple wedge that most people at home can identify with. When he is very, very human with those types of shots, I think the person at home really goes, “I could have done that,” and then he goes along and does that.

What went down for McIlroy’s final round? McIlroy built a big lead that looked impossible to beat, but then he made some mistakes, making it seem like he might have a tough loss. He had a chance to win the Masters with a six-foot putt but missed it, which sent him into a sudden death playoff against Justin Rose on the 18th. He birdied, and Rose bogeyed. Finally, Rory became the sixth player to achieve the modern career Grand Slam. His game wasn’t perfect, and perhaps that was the beauty of it.

Tiger Woods had it tough as well; however, the thing is, Tiger Woods made it look easy. He was younger than McIlroy is now when he achieved the feat, and McIlroy faced more than one demon to reach where he did. After 11 years of waiting, enduring several trials and tribulations, and delivering a winning speech about “never giving up on your dreams,” he shared his success story with the public, which was already very empathetic toward him.

via Imago

He competed against golfers like Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Justin Rose, among many others. He earned the win just as hard as Tiger Woods did in 2001, and many fans teared up when the final playoff hole brought the Irishman to his knees.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time someone has pointed out the “human element” of McIlroy’s game. After the Irishman’s win at Augusta, the Ryder Cup-winning captain, Paul McGinley, has to go to the UK. Tonight, “I think the human element is what brought people in.”

Rory McIlroy is now free of the burden; however, he will likely move the audience to tears once again at the next men’s major, the PGA Championship.

Jonathan Yarwood believes Rory McIlroy’s driving skills may help him at Quail Hollow

If you want to succeed at 7,500 yards at Quail Hollow, you better drive it well, something that the five-time champion at Quail Hollow, Rory McIlroy, understands. If you check the top drivers on the PGA Tour for the 2025 season, you’ll see McIlroy at the top of the list. This isn’t new for him; he has consistently ranked in the top 10 in SG: Driving for the past 10 seasons. Perhaps that’s why a golf coach believes in his incredible driving skills.

In a February 4 X post, Yardwood shared some insights into McIlroy’s driving skills. McIlroy’s in-to-out swing path plays a significant role in his outstanding driving skills. He begins with a steep club position in the backswing and then flattens it during the downswing. This approach enables him to hit high, towering draws off the tee. Although it’s not necessary to use this swing style with the driver, it certainly makes it much easier to achieve a powerful shot.

Effective weight and pressure shifting are essential for a strong swing, and McIlroy is particularly good at this. He starts his swing by slightly “bumping” his weight onto his trailing side. As he nears the top of his backswing, he shifts his weight toward the target to initiate the downswing. During this phase, his head remains back while his left side extends upward. Do you think the same?