People From All Walks Of Life Reached Out - Mcilroy

Rory McIlroy says he has been touched by really his travel to winning nan profession Grand Slam has resonated pinch group from "all walks of life" arsenic he revealed he said pinch 2 US presidents aft his Masters victory.

McIlroy returns to action this week arsenic he defends nan Zurich Classic of New Orleans title pinch Shane Lowry.

During a travel backmost to Northern Ireland to sojourn his parents and long-time coach Michael Bannon, McIlroy said he reflected connected nan "magnitude" of his accomplishment of becoming nan sixth man to triumph each 4 majors.

"I said to 2 presidents nan time aft which was beautiful cool," said nan world number two.

"Just group reaching retired from each walks of life, whether it beryllium sports, entertainment, culture, conscionable each of it. People that you would ne'er moreover deliberation that would watch play aliases would cognize what's going, that was very humbling."

Having won nan men's game's 3 different fields - US Open, Open Championship and US PGA Championship - by nan extremity of 2014, McIlroy had to hold 11 years earlier joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods arsenic Grand Slam winners.

"I deliberation group tin spot themselves successful nan struggle astatine times and everything you effort to put successful to getting nan champion retired of yourself successful that journey.

"I deliberation group watching personification yet get it done, thing they've been trying to do for a decade-plus, that's why I deliberation it resonated pinch a batch of people."

Before attempting to triumph a six awesome title astatine adjacent month's US PGA Championship, McIlroy hopes to clinch a 2nd successive Zurich Classic alongside Lowry aft their 2024 victory.

"I honestly could not beryllium successful a amended spot successful my life, professionally, personally, each of it," added McIlroy, who said he is emotion nether nan upwind aft picking up a acold aft nan Masters.

"It's astonishing what a twelvemonth tin do. This tourney past twelvemonth was a really cool infinitesimal for some of america and it injected a spot of joyousness backmost into play for maine successful immoderate way, which I deliberation is really important, not to suffer that.

"I had a awesome twelvemonth past twelvemonth and this tourney was a catalyst for nan bully play I played for nan remainder of nan year."

McIlroy hit England's Justin Rose successful a play-off to triumph nan Masters astatine nan extremity of a rollercoaster last information astatine Augusta that included 2 double bogeys for nan Northern Irishman.

"I don't cognize if it [winning nan Masters] gives maine much confidence, I've ever been very assured of my abilities arsenic a golfer.

"I do deliberation nan full time connected Sunday astatine Augusta, I don't deliberation I'll ever person to play a harder information of play successful my life.

"To beryllium capable to get done that and nutrient nan shots erstwhile I needed to, that evidently gives maine assurance and I tin ever tie backmost connected that experience."

In summation to yet claiming nan Masters, McIlroy has nan uncommon opportunity to triumph a awesome connected location ungraded erstwhile nan Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush successful July.

Lowry won erstwhile nan Open returned to Portrush successful 2019 and nan 38-year-old joked that McIlroy's caller occurrence will let him to spell nether nan radar erstwhile he returns to defend.

"Going backmost to Portrush will beryllium incredible. Rory going backmost arsenic nan Masters champion is going to return immoderate of nan power disconnected maine truthful I'm happy pinch that," said a smiling Lowry alongside McIlroy connected Wednesday.

"It's going to beryllium a awesome tournament. I saw thing yesterday that 278,000 group are going to be nan Open astatine Portrush.

"I deliberation a cardinal group applied for tickets. It's going to beryllium an unthinkable arena and I'll beryllium happy to beryllium a portion of it."

McIlroy and Lowry will statesman nan defence of nan Zurich Classic astatine 14:52 BST connected Thursday.