RORY McILROY has listed winning The Masters and “one of the greatest achievements” in golf among his “three goals”.
The Northern Irishman, 35, has gone ten years waiting for a fifth Major after coming agonisingly close in 2024.
At the US Open, McIlroy famously surrendered a lead to Bryson DeChambeau in a remarkable late capitulation at Pinehurst.
And the Holywood revealed that finally achieving the grand slam at Augusta is among his remaining career targets.
He told the BBC: “Winning The Masters, winning an Olympic medal and another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career.
“I’ve realised that all I can control is myself.
“What’s right for me right now is to fully focus on myself and to get the best out of myself and get back to winning the biggest tournaments in the world.
“I’ve been agonisingly close for the past few years, without being able to get it done and that that is the main focus of this year.
“All of my practice, all of my prep, even the tournaments that I’m playing, it’s all geared towards being ready for those four events.
“Augusta is Augusta.
“I’ve gone through my stats and there are a couple of things that were pointed out to me that I could definitely get better at – certain little shots around the greens.”
McIlroy as part of Team Europe that won the Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country club in 2023.
And with the competition taking place at Bethpage in 2025, the Holywood man is keen to do it again on enemy soil.
He added: “You have heard me say this so many times, but one of the greatest achievements in the game right now is to win an away Ryder Cup and we have an opportunity to do that this year.
“It’s a very strong American team, a very partisan crowd.
“But we’ve got a wonderful captain [Luke Donald] and we’re going to have a wonderful team and we’re relishing the challenge.”
McIlroy will begin his PGA Tour season at Pebble Beach this week and is part of a stacked field that also sees the return of Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.
He warmed up for that by taking on Tiger Woods in the Tomorrow Golf League (TGL), the indoor golf competition founded by McIlroy and Woods.
And it was the American who emerged victorious 4-3.
His Jupiter Links team triumphed in overtime, winning a nearest the pin decider after the teams had finished level at 3-3.
