Rory McIlroy gets honest on being called the greatest European golfer of all time

Rory McIlroy completed his Career Grand Slam with his Masters 2025 triumph. It was also his 5th major championship win, coming in his 52nd start at a major.

The Northern Irishman tied with Justin Rose after 72 holes of stroke play at the Augusta National. His victory came on the first playoff hole courtesy of a birdie. Subsequently, English player Tommy Fleetwood hailed Rory McIlroy as the greatest European golfer of this generation.

In a recent interview with Golf Channel after Mcllroy's win, Todd Lewis compared him with Seve Ballesteros and Sir Nick Faldo. McIlroy said (4:52 onwards):

"I'm certainly a step further along that path after today."

For the unversed, Ballesteros has five major wins, while Sir Nick Faldo has six major wins. When asked if the "greatest ever" tag inspires him, the 35-year-old said:

"Absolutely. Yeah. Obviously, Sir Nick Faldo has six majors, Sevy has five, I now have five. But I also am the first European to win the career grand slam. So, I would say there's an argument to be made, but it is inspiring."

McIlroy further said that he doesn't want to stop at five majors but chase the legacy of a global legend like Gary Player.

"You know, you think about Gary Player on that list with nine major championships, part of the Grand Slam, probably the greatest international player ever. You know, that's something that I'd like to be able to say about myself when all is said and done," he added.

McIlroy called his Masters win a release after 14 years of frustration. He said that Augusta National was a perfect fit for his game, since his first real chance in 2011, where he tied for 15th.

McIlroy remembered his 8-year-old self, who dreamed of winning all four majors, and said he hoped that version of him would be proud. He further said winning finally at Augusta was a "pure relief" and a "dream come true."

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Who has won the most major championships ft. Rory McIlroy?

Jack Nicklaus has won the most major championships. He won 18 majors: 6 Masters, 4 U.S. Opens, 3 Open Championships, and 5 PGA Championships. He's followed by Tiger Woods with 15 major wins.

With his win at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy has won his fifth major, his first after an 11-year gap. His first came at the 2011 US Open, followed by the 2012 PGA Championship. He won two major championships in 2014, Open Championship and the PGA Championship.

Let's take a look at the golfers by the number of their major championship wins:

• Jack Nicklaus (USA): 18 majors
• Tiger Woods (USA): 15 majors
• Walter Hagen (USA): 11 majors
• Ben Hogan (USA), Gary Player (South Africa): 9 majors
• Tom Watson (USA): 8 majors
• Harry Vardon (Jersey), Bobby Jones (USA), Gene Sarazen (USA), Arnold Palmer (USA), Sam Snead (USA): 7 majors
• Nick Faldo (England), Phil Mickelson (USA), Lee Trevino (USA): 6 majors
• Seve Ballesteros (Spain), Byron Nelson (USA), James Braid (Scotland), John Henry Taylor (England), Peter Thomson (Australia), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland): 5 majors