Exclusive: Masters Win Will Open the Floodgates for Rory McIlroy, says Former Ryder Cup Captain

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes Rory McIlroy has been “freed up” by his Masters victory and could well win another Major this season.

The Northern Irishman completed the career Grand Slam with a play-off victory against Justin Rose at Augusta National.

His dramatic triumph also ended a 11-year drought in the Majors for the 35-year-old world number one.

The Open is at Royal Portrush this year, a course McIlroy knows well and where he will have enormous home support, while the US PGA is at Quail Hollow – where he has won the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship won four times.

“I don't think it's a foregone conclusion he wins another one this year. There's competition, of course there is,” McGinley told SportsBoom.com, as he prepared to play in the Legends Tour’s event in Barbados, hosted by former Masters champion Ian Woosnam.

“I mean, Scottie Scheffler is going to get better as the season goes on. Xander’s going to get better as the season goes on."

“But Rory is freed up now. You know, it's been a big, big monkey on his back and you know the criticism that he's got over the years has been quite relentless at times."

“Nobody gets more heat than he does, so I think he will feel relieved and a freedom mentally, which means he can perform at his best physically."

“When he went down to his knees it was really the human story of what he did there, of the bouncing back from not winning in regulation play and of not winning Majors and the Masters for those years,” added McGinley, who is one of 11 Ryder Cup players in the field for the Legends Tour event at Apes Hill.

“And we are thankful and grateful he did – I’m delighted, because the game needed that kind of story."

“The game needed a superstar, something big to happen in it, and a Grand Slam winner is something big.” 

MIND RIGHT

McGinley believes the role legendary sports psychologist Bob Rotella played after McIlroy’s disappointing first round was crucial to his ultimate victory.

McIlroy hit his third into the water on the 15th to make a seven and then also double-bogeyed the 17th to finish level par – seven behind leader Rose.

“By all accounts, when Bob Rotella met Rory the next morning he was still devastated. So whatever Rotella told him before his second round really worked,” said McGinley.

“He thought he needed to kind of reset him again. It worked and he was back on the horse. I fancied him all week but I thought the finish he had on the first day… I didn't know if he was going to be able to come back from that." 

“Rory was in a different place with his game though and with people like Scottie not playing well and Xander not at his best, he had time to catch up the leaders."

“Bryson wasn’t playing well enough to get the job done ither. So it was a great and deserved win.”