After winning the Masters Tournament for the second consecutive season, Rory McIlroy has opted to take some time off from active competition. He wants to celebrate his big win in style. And that means he’s skipping the RBC Heritage scheduled for this week. So, where can we expect the 6x major champion to tee off next?

McIlroy’s commitment certainly looks thinner than before. Right now, he seems to aim for five upcoming tournaments. And the list includes the PGA Championship (May 14), US Open (June 18), Genesis Scottish Open (July 9), The Open Championship (July 16), and the BMW PGA Championship (September 17). It’s as if the grand slam champion wants to go for a potential grand slam double. All he needs is one win each at the US Open and The Open Championship. 

But why is Rory McIlroy focusing on fewer championships? Well, he didn’t even play multiple signature events back in 2025. And the reason lies in his age and pace. After winning the Masters Tournament last year and achieving the grand slam champion status, McIlroy felt pretty relaxed – as if a burden had gone away from his shoulders. 

He gave the example of Justin Rose competing actively as a 45-year-old golfer. The Northern Irishman is basically trying to play a schedule that suits him without getting burnt out. And that can come through fewer runs per year. 

Talking to The Guardian, McIlroy said, “It’s a little bit more relaxed. I feel like I have done a really good job over the last five or six years of not living and dying by every shot or round. I don’t want to say the tour stuff is ‘less important’ but at the same time if I have 10 years left and I really want to prioritize the majors then the other tournaments are great to play in, you want to win them. It is just that every time I play in a PGA Tour event I have one eye on what I need to do for the next few weeks, leading into majors.”

Has Rory McIlroy achieved his career goals with the Masters win?

McIlroy’s stance around the Masters has certainly changed. He finally achieved the career grand slam after 17 years of relentless tries. But this time, he felt like he wouldn’t even care if the tournament at Augusta National didn’t start. The reason? His goalpost has now shifted. 

McIlroy said, “The story as it relates to me is what do I do from now onwards. What motivates me, what gets me going, what do I still want to achieve in the game? I think that’s the story. And there’s still a lot that I want to do. You think every time you achieve something or have success that you’ll be happy, but then the goalposts move, and they just keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.”

He continued, “I think what I’ve realized is, if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that’s the big thing, because honestly, I felt like the career Grand Slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realized it wasn’t the destination.”

Now, the big question is whether he can maintain the dominance he showcased at the Masters during the upcoming major tournaments.