The dream became a reality for Rory McIlroy at the Masters 2025. What could have been a more joyous moment than achieving a career grand slam after decades of waiting? Well, he not only ended a decade-long drought but also won significant titles, assuring his prime season. But despite that, golf insiders found a slack in his emotional journey affecting his performance.

Despite his limited appearances, he started the season with a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach and continued to surprise with his performance. In his first six appearances, he won three tournaments, including the most awaited Masters. But what happened next was unexpected. The golfer, who had commanded high expectations, fell into a slump, soon after the Masters.

Recently, at the Indo Sport podcast, Joe was joined by Paul McGinley, a former Irish professional. McGinley recently joined McIlroy during the practice session and shared how happy he was with his achievement. However, according to him, “He was in a great spot and that’s wonderful for Rory McIlroy, the person. The competitor Rory McIlroy doesn’t thrive in that environment.” Agreeing to it, Joe said that he is with the former professional, and disagrees with Jaime Diaz, who said, “I sort of think Rory plays best when he’s springing his steps relaxed, happy.”

Even further, the discussion continued as both agreed on a serious suggestion for the golfer. Joe said, “Rory, to win more majors, he needs to be a 10% less happy person and needs to be walking those fairways just a little bit, um (while expressing seriousness).” The golfer, after his major victory, has participated in two individual events, namely the Truist Championship and the PGA Championship. With his victorious stance, he was the most rooted player for the event, but McIlroy recorded a T7 and T47 finish, respectively.

Even his recent performance has led to worry for the fans as he struggled to stay under par with his performance.

Rory McIlroy’s performance drop stats

At the PGA Championship, all eyes were on him, but from the first hole, McIlroy recorded a bogey. Even in the first 9 holes, he recorded zero birdies and two bogeys. The struggle with accuracy in shots was obvious to him. By the end of the first round, he had only carded two birdies, while adding three bogeys and one double bogey. After his first round, his driver was also called “non-conforming,” resulting in a switch to a backup driver.

The performance continued to struggle carding birdies as he recorded 13 only while adding 14 bogeys. His genuine struggle is with his performance stats. McIlroy achieved a driving accuracy of 46.4%, while 51.4% green in regulation. Though with his form, finding the rhythm and getting back to winning might not be easy, as Scottie Scheffler has recorded consecutive wins. Can McIlroy continue his great form, or will others snatch the victories? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.