Rory McIlroy Feels ‘Weird’ Next to Jack Nicklaus & Tiger Woods in Exclusive Golf Club

Rory McIlroy snagging the Masters title, clinching his Grand Slam – it was a huge deal. His first green jacket, first major win in over a decade, wrapping up the career Grand Slam. It was one of those wins that’d go down in tournament history. The ultimate comeback story, a redemption tale for the ages. But for Rory McIlroy himself… it felt (still does) “weird.”

The reason it feels weird? Rory McIlroy, in a candid interview with The Running Interview Show with Kate Mackz, reveals it’s because he’s now rubbing shoulders with golf legends Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus – having joined them as one of only six pros to complete a Grand Slam.

“It’s crazy. There’s only, um, you know, there’s only three other people living [Woods, Nicklaus, Gary Player] that have done it,” he begins, “Um, it’s, I don’t know. I mean, I still, it feels weird for me to be put in that category, but, um, yeah, it was a dream come true.” And he earned every bit of it. It took him 11 attempts to complete the career Grand Slam, more than any other player who’s accomplished this feat. And it took him 17 trips to Augusta National to finally claim that green jacket.

Even if McIlroy calls it “crazy” and “weird,” the golf world’s all about him deserving that win. “I certainly had to wait for that one, but it was a, yeah, it was an unbelievable feeling,” McIlroy says during the interview. Grabbing the Masters title marked McIlroy’s fifth major win, ending a more than a decade-long drought for a major victory.

Still, it’s “interesting knowing that somebody of your caliber still has a little bit of imposter syndrome,” as Mackz puts it succinctly. The ever-so humble McIlroy smiles warmly at that and replies, “Absolutely. I think, I think, I think anyone that, you know, competes or does anything at a high level, I think we all have a little bit of that.” 

But the case in point after such a humble admission: Rory McIlroy’s got a winning mix of humility, authenticity, and vulnerability. Back in 2013, the then 23-year-old shared how he stayed grounded despite raking in big bucks. He recalled getting his first big paycheck of $450,000 and being hit hard by seeing his massive balance on an ATM screen – “Whoa, I actually have that much money.”

Despite McIlroy battling “imposter syndrome,” he got a hearty welcome into the Grand Slam winners’ club from his peers after his record-breaking Masters run. Tiger Woods sent kudos saying, “Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!”

via Imago

Gary Player also chimed in, praising McIlroy with, “Rory showed true grit today and also through the entire tournament. Well done, my friend. Welcome to our club.” Nevertheless, Rory McIlroy’s got more wild Masters tales to tell – this month alone has brought more crazy stories from the Masters spotlight.

Rory McIlroy says he is “reluctant to wear” the Green Jacket

Rory McIlroy is being pretty chill about wearing his prized green Masters jacket. Ahead of the 2025 TOUR Championship on Tuesday, the Irish golfer told reporters he’s “reluctant to wear it,” according to the Associated Press. “It’s not as if I wear it a lot,” McIlroy said with a laugh, adding he’s got it hanging in his wardrobe where he can see it every day.

The Masters champ gets to keep the jacket for a year before handing it back to Augusta National Golf Club. Rules are you can rock it on club grounds, but taking it off-site is considered a bit of a faux pas. McIlroy admitted, “I always thought if I had one, if I did win the Masters one day, I’d never have the thing off, and it hasn’t been that way,” saying he hasn’t worn it as much as he’d thought.

Turns out he wore it till 3:30 a.m. the night after his win and again at the Association of Golf Writers’ dinner during The Open Championship. McIlroy’s loving signing those Masters pin flags – which are souvenir flags of the Masters course that fans love to collect – for fans. McIlroy said he will “never get sick of signing them.”

And now that he’s a Masters champ, he’s got the honor of signing his name in the choicest spot on the flag, reserved for winners. “I’ve waited 17 years to sign that flag in the middle, and I will never complain about doing it,” he said. After the win, he confessed, “This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.” It definitely was.