'if Mcilroy Feels Free That Could Be A Scary Thing'

Xander Schauffele is backing Rory McIlroy to quickly adhd to his 5 fields now he has completed nan Grand Slam by winning nan Masters.

McIlroy hit Justin Rose successful a play-off astatine Augusta National earlier this period to extremity a 10-year drought successful nan sport's biggest championships and go conscionable nan sixth subordinate to triumph each 4 fields successful nan men's game.

"He is simply a generational talent and to do what he did is unthinkable for nan crippled of golf," said American Schauffele, who won The Open and US PGA Championship successful a breakthrough 2024 successful nan majors.

"If that was thing that was holding him backmost and now he feels free, that could beryllium a beautiful scary thing.

"He has each nan tools. I've played against him erstwhile he's firing connected each cylinders and it's not nosy for me. It's nosy for everyone other to watch but it's difficult to beat.

"Would I beryllium amazed if he started rattling [more majors] off? No. Am I going to beryllium location to effort and extremity him? Absolutely."

McIlroy's adjacent chance to adhd to his awesome tally comes adjacent period successful nan US PGA Championship. It is being staged from 15-18 May astatine North Carolina's Quail Hollow - a people he has won astatine 4 times.

He will past caput to Oakmont successful Pennsylvania from 12-15 June for nan US Open. McIlroy has had six top-10 finishes successful nan tourney successful nan past six years, including being runner-up successful nan past two.

And erstwhile he arrives connected nan Antrim seashore for nan 153rd staging of golf's oldest awesome from 17-20 July, he will find nan immense mostly of nan grounds 278,000 spectators will beryllium supporting some him and Ireland's Shane Lowry, who won nan title nan past clip it was held connected nan Dunluce Links successful 2019.

The hype astir McIlroy's return to nan segment of 1 of his astir disappointing awesome results - his first thrust of nan title careered retired of bounds arsenic he posted a quadruple-bogey 8 connected nan opening spread earlier going connected to miss nan halfway trim - has only been heightened since his triumph astatine Augusta National.

Schauffele, who will return nan Claret Jug to nan R&A astatine nan commencement of nan week astatine Royal Portrush, is hoping to "use that to my advantage".

"If I tin cruise on and alert nether nan radar, that's precisely what I'll do," he added.

The 31-year-old has drunk "wine and tequila" from nan celebrated aged trophy, which has spent astir of nan twelvemonth pinch his parents because "dad decidedly consumes much vino than I do".

And nan Californian is hoping for what he perceives to beryllium accepted UK summertime upwind to buffet nan people - lashing rainfall and howling upwind - during nan championship, arsenic happened during his triumph astatine Royal Troon past July.

"I'm from San Diego wherever [the wind] blows a blistering 3 miles an hour," he smiled.

"When I deliberation of Open Championship golf, I don't deliberation of it being sunny. I deliberation of group wearing beanies hunkering down, trying everything they tin pinch their caddie to flooded that warfare that you're astatine pinch nan play course.

"It's specified a validating and rewarding emotion to do it. I've sewage nary problem if it's bad weather."