Charlotte (AFP) – Inspired by Rory McIlroy completing a career Grand Slam at the Masters, Jordan Spieth hopes to finish his own career Slam in next week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Spieth won the 2015 Masters and US Open and captured the 2017 British Open, but the 31-year-old American will make his ninth attempt at the career Slam and chase his first win since the 2022 PGA Heritage tournament. It’s a drought similar to that endured by McIlroy, who failed 10 times to complete the career Slam at Augusta National until he captured the green jacket last month, his first major win since 2014.
“Not only did he complete it but the time it took him to complete it, it was obviously a very challenging week for him. It was harder than maybe anybody ever trying to win a Masters,” Spieth said. “To be that far from his most recent major as well, and then to go do it, it was very inspiring.” Spieth, who underwent left wrist surgery last August, fired a final-round 62 at last week’s Byron Nelson. He will play on the same Quail Hollow layout where he was 28th in his first shot at the career Slam in 2017. Spieth has had five top-four major finishes since his last major win, including a share of third at the 2019 PGA at Bethpage Black.
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The fact Spieth must chase history on a different course every year adds another layer of difficulty, McIlroy said, compared to what he had to achieve at the Masters, always played at Augusta National. “It’s hard, I think, for Jordan having to do. You have to go back to the same tournament every year for Jordan, but not the same golf course,” McIlroy said. “It’s a little bit of a different proposition for him rather than me having to go back to the same venue every year.”
“As much as you try to get yourself in the right frame of mind to just try to win the golf tournament and then let everything else happen, it’s in there. Consciously or subconsciously, you feel that. You know that you’re not just trying to win another tournament, you’re trying to become part of history, and that has a certain weight to it. I’ve certainly felt that at Augusta over the years. I’m sure Jordan has felt that a bit going into each PGA that he’s had a chance to do the same thing.”
There’s also a longshot possibility of a calendar slam by McIlroy, a “Rory Slam” adding the PGA, US Open, and British Open to a 2025 trophy haul that already includes Pebble Beach, The Players Championship, and the Masters. Second-ranked McIlroy has won four times at Quail Hollow in PGA Tour events. He was the US Open runner-up in 2023 and 2024, and this year’s Claret Jug will be decided at Portrush, a Northern Ireland course McIlroy knows well.
“Going back to Portrush is going to be incredible. Rory going back as the Masters champion now is going to take a little bit of heat off me,” said Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who won the 2019 British Open at Portrush. Justin Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner who took his first major title at Quail Hollow, says McIlroy could be ready for a big run after winning the Masters.
“Rory was on a pretty decent run this year already,” Thomas said. “I guess it’s all relative of what a big run is, if that means more majors or more tournaments, but he has played better than everybody this year, even before the Masters.”
– ‘More battles’ –
Thomas also took motivation from McIlroy’s Masters magic. “Rory winning the grand slam was huge. It was inspiring to me,” Thomas said. “If everybody keeps playing well and keeps putting themselves in position…we can just hopefully have more battles.” Xander Schauffele, last year’s PGA Championship and British Open winner, doesn’t see himself as near a career Slam. “You realize how hard it is,” said Schauffele. “Getting yourself in position to do it would be awesome. I’m far away. Closer than some, but I still feel far away. I still need to win another major, I should say the correct major, before I’m in the talks of it.”
© 2024 AFP
