Ireland golf is now nine from 30 in the Majors following Rory McIlroy’s dramatic come-from-behind Valhalla success.

This is since Padraig Harrington’s 2007 British Open triumph at Carnoustie and with Harrington then successfully defending the Claret Jug a year later at Royal Birkdale and weeks before winning the 2008 PGA Championship.

Graeme McDowell then won the 2010 US Open and with McIlroy landing the same trophy by eight shots a year later at Congressional.

Darren Clarke reigned supreme a months later at Royal St. Georges so that the Emerald Isle was six wins from 20 Majors.

Eoin Clarke’s (www.golffile.ie) world exclusive photo of Rory McIlroy holding the Claret Jug and Rodman Wanamaker Trophy.

And then at Kiawah Island in 2012 McIlroy again won by eight strokes to lift golf’s heaviest trophy, the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy.

Since then McIlroy’s become the fourth youngest player to hold three Majors after winning the British Open and then also the fourth youngest to capture four Majors with his one shot Valhalla success.

McIlroy is now among nine players to have won four Majors and in a group of 28 who have won four of more.

And McIlroy surprised many observers with his knowledge of the exulted company he now shares.

“There’s only two active players in this generation who that have more Majors than me and that’s Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson,” he said.

“I know I’ve drawn level with Ernie Els.  I’ve drawn level with Vijay Singh, I’ve drawn level with Raymond Floyd.

“If not already, they are names that’ll be in the Hall of Fame. I’ve put my name beside theirs already at the age of 25 so it’s pretty lofty company okay.

“And I just glad to have been a part of winning here at Valhalla because it looked at some point on the front nine as if I wasn’t going to be a part of it.

“So to be able to gather myself and do what I needed to do to get myself back into the tournament was really pleasing.

“I’d played the back nine well all week so I knew at some point I’d have my chance. I knew if I stayed patient and kept giving myself chances, a chance was going to fall my way to seize an opportunity to win this and that’s what happened.”

McIlroy has to now wait eight months before the Masters and the opportunity to join six players to have won five Majors – Seve Ballesteros, Byron Nelson, Peter Thomson, James Braid, J H Taylor and Phil Mickelson.

And if successful, he’ll become only the sixth player to win the Grand Slam and in the process the first Irishman to be fitted with an Augusta green jacket.