By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Six-time Masters champion ‘delighted’ to have new member of ‘Career Grand Slam Club’
Jack
Nicklaus is expecting to see “a lot more great golf out of Rory
McIlroy” after the Northern Irishman joined him in golf’s ‘Career Grand
Slam Club’.
Six-time
Masters winner Nicklaus had always felt confident that McIlroy would
eventually get his Green Jacket to complete the set and it was mission
accomplished on Sunday in his 11th attempt to become just the sixth
player to win all four majors.
“I’m
delighted for Rory,” said Nicklaus, speaking on Golf Central Live From
The Masters. “I know that he’s had a lot of pressure on him. He’s had
the world on his shoulders.
“It
was wonderful to see him win. This will take the world off his
shoulders and I think you’ll see a lot more great golf out of Rory
McIlroy.”
The
Northern Irishman became the first player to win at Augusta National
after running up four double bogeys while he also joined Nick Faldo
(1990) and Tiger Woods (2005) in overturning a seven-shot deficit after
18 holes.
“It
takes a really talented player to win with some of the shots that he
hit,” added 18-time major winner Nicklaus. “Four double bogeys (for the
week) and to win the golf tournament is incredible, the talent he has is
enormous.”
Paul McGinley, Mcllroy’s winning captain in the 2014 Ryder Cup at
Gleneagles, was also delighted to see the 35-year-old return to winning
ways in the majors after an 11-year drought.
“I
think it’s a different Rory. I think it’s an evolution of Rory,” he
said in his role as a Golf Channel analyst. “There is mental resilience
there that might not have been there. He’s got strategies, he digs deep,
and he can win when he’s not right on it...he’s on a path to maybe win
more.
“Now
that he’s climbed Everest, does he lose a little bit? When you reach
something you’ve desired so much, you kind of soften...but I don’t think
so. I think he’s going to keep going.
“I’ve
said if he’ll win one major, he’ll win three or four. I don’t think
he’s done winning majors this year. He’s got some great chances to add
to it – maybe a double, a triple, or maybe even a Grand Slam this year?
How about that (laughing)?”
