New four-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy is focusing on becoming the greatest-ever European born golfer.
McIlroy was waking up in New York in also becoming the fourth youngest golfer in the history of the game to win four Majors.
The World No. 1 is already Ireland’s best-ever golfer and with the Masters eight months on the horizon McIlroy will go to the first Major of 2015 hot favourite to become only the sixth player to capture the Grand Slam.
In coming months McIlroy is targeting receiving a first FedEx Cup victory parcel along with being in a third straight winning European Ryder Cup team and while McIlroy will again become European and PGA Tour No. 1 he will look to end year with a successful defence of his Australian Open title.
Rory McIlroy embraces caddy J P Fitzgerald after becoming the fourth youngest winner of a Major. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
However long term McIlroy wants to leave a lasting reminder of his talent.
“I’ve got to take it one small step at a time but then the two next realistic goals are the career Grand Slam, and trying to become the most successful European player ever,” he said.
“So Nick Faldo is most successful European ever in the modern era. Nick Faldo has six Majors. Seve has five. Also there is the career Grand Slam coming up at Augusta in eight months time or whatever it is, they are the next goals..
“And hopefully, when I achieve those, I can start to think about other things. But right now, that’s what my focus is. My focus is trying to complete this year Grand Slam and then move forward and try and become the most successful European ever, and hopefully in time, if I can do that, then I can move on and set different goals.”
McIlroy’s Valhalla victory moved him to eight PGA Tour counting wins to put him just one Stateside success behind Faldo’s European-born record of nine.
And with the Ryder Cup six weeks away McIlroy sees his four Majors winning stature as having to accept more of an on-course leadership role in Paul McGinley’s Gleneagles Team.
“My Ryder Cup stature will change and not just how the Americans view me but how I’m viewed in my own team,” he said.
“It will be my third Ryder Cup and while I’m not one of the most experienced guys,I’m going to have to be some sort of a leader. I’m going to have to be a talisman and going to have to drive us forward.
“So I realise I’m going to have to accept that responsibility.
“Of course I’m comfortable with it. I’m comfortable with everyone that’s going to be on the team.
“The first two Ryder Cups maybe I felt a little out of place to put my hand up and offer my opinion, like who am I, I’m only a rookie, as it was only my second time at the Ryder Cup.
“But now I’ve experienced a couple and am in a place in the game that warrants I can lead the team so it’s a good place to be.”
