As the PGA Championship approaches, one question that follows Jordan Spieth everywhere is about the Grand Slam. But after watching Rory McIlroy prove that patience and persistence eventually pay off, Spieth isn’t running from that question anymore. He’s just answering about his wait of 9 years differently now.

Spieth didn’t dress it up at the 2026 PGA Championship press conference. “It would be amazing, right, because it’s just a very, very short list in history,” he told the media. “If I can win one more tournament in my life, it would obviously be this one. When I get out on the golf course, it doesn’t feel any different than any other major, so I wouldn’t expect it to if I get there this week.”

The grounded approach matters when you look at what this tournament has actually done to Spieth. He was runner-up at Whistling Straits in 2015. His only other top-10 was a T3 at Bethpage Black in 2019. After that, five straight finishes outside the top 25, including a missed cut in 2025. This is his 10th attempt, and the PGA Championship has been the one major that never quite opened up for him the way the Masters, US Open, and Open Championship did.

Rory McIlroy is the only person alive who fully understands what Spieth is carrying into Aronimink. Not in a general sense, but specifically. In 2016, both men arrived at Augusta with everything on the line. Rory was chasing the career Grand Slam; Spieth was defending his Masters title. Neither got what they came for.

Rory stumbled, Spieth suffered his infamous back-nine collapse on the 12th hole, and Augusta left both men with scars that took years to process. That shared experience at the same tournament, in the same week, creates a connection that goes beyond mutual respect between rivals.

What McIlroy did at Augusta in 2025 matters to Spieth’s pursuit more than any swing stat or course setup. He waited 11 years, led the Masters multiple times, and kept coming back until it finally gave way. Spieth won his third major in 2017, The Open Championship, and has been longing for the fourth piece of the puzzle since.

For Spieth, winning a Grand Slam “would be amazing because it’s just a very, very short list in history,” but when asked whether that emotional release would mirror his own, he separated himself clearly:

“I don’t think so. My situation was certainly different than his. That was unique to him.”

McIlroy proved that years of failure at one specific major don’t mean it stays shut forever. Spieth acknowledged that directly, saying McIlroy’s persistence showed it can eventually pay off. For someone who has had three top-12 finishes in 2026 but hasn’t won since the 2022 RBC Heritage, that belief is what keeps the pursuit alive rather than exhausting.

The 32-year-old’s approach to the week itself reveals just as much about him.

How Jordan Spieth prepares differently now

Three weeks in a row change everything. Spieth admitted he didn’t arrive at Aronimink early, and with back-to-back tournaments already in his legs, he didn’t think it would’ve helped much anyway. He understands that energy management at a major is half the battle before a shot is even hit.

His preparation has shifted from logging hours on the range to understanding where pins will sit, which flags to attack, and which ones to respect. This shift isn’t age; it’s his experience telling him what actually moves the needle on Sunday.

“It’s really more methodical now where it used to be hours and hours. It’s not just an age thing. It’s more just like recognizing that major weeks can feel really long, and you want to feel your best when you wake up Sunday morning. Part of it is energy conservation and figuring out how to attack the course. As far as the reps go, if you’re not ready by now after the last couple of weeks, you can’t really cram for the test at a major,” Spieth said.

For a player chasing the Grand Slam, that discipline is telling. Nine-time major champion Gary Player, who won the 1962 PGA Championship at the same Aronimink course, believes Spieth just needs to “reconnect with his fundamentals” to get there.

Spieth isn’t treating this week like a scramble. He’s treating it like a test he’s been quietly studying for years, one that just hasn’t delivered the right result yet.