Paul McGinley believes that Rory McIlroy is one of the greatest sportsmen of all time after became only the sixth golfer and first European to win the career grand slam.
McIlroy finally got over the line at Augusta last April to win the Masters as he completed the major set. It was his fifth major title in all taking him to within one of Nick Faldo’s haul. But, McGinley feels not only has McIlroy surpassed him as the greatest European golfer of all time but he is one of the greatest sportspeople ever produced.
“No question, in my mind no question. The fact that he’s a grand slam winner moves him ahead of the fact that Nick Faldo has one one more major than he has,” McGinley told Sky Sports Golf.
“He’s one of the greatest sportspeople we have ever seen anywhere in any sport that’s how high a bar Rory has set.”
McIlroy was over a decade without a major championship title with some gut-wrenching near misses at recent Opens and US Opens laying on more scar tissue that many were doubting if he would overcome.
But he climbed his Everest at Augusta National, beating Justin Rose in a playoff to win his first green jacket.
McGinley feels McIlroy’s mental resilience is what sets him apart from most elite athletes.
“To be the complete player and sit the four exams of the majors and dealing with the pressure of getting over the line with the fourth. A number of guys, great players, have got to three of the four majors but then the pressure of trying to win the last one has been too hard for them to surmount.
“Rory didn’t and to do it in the way he did in Augusta shows the mental resilience and to keep coming back and keep trying to get over the line and getting closer and closer and it not happening. To keep knocking on the door and get over the line makes him the most successful.”
