Rory McIlroy has put career grand slam fire in belly of PGA Championship rivals

They’re all starting to think about career grand slams now. Not, of course, because everyone believes it has suddenly become easy to achieve as that is plainly not the case, illustrated by a list that contains just six names. But, after watching Rory McIlroy win The Masters to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as one of the game’s undisputed greats, others have certainly been inspired.

“I'd love to throw my hat in the ring and give it a chance come the weekend,” declared Jordan Spieth, who will complete the set as well if he wins the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, where one of his pals, Justin Thomas, was also talking about career grand slams in the build up to the season’s second major.

“Obviously I knew I always wanted to win the grand slam, wanted to win all the majors. But for some reason watching somebody do it firsthand, it reminded me almost of, damn, I forgot, I really do want to do that,” he admitted of the fire that McIlroy appears to have ignited in the belly of his rivals.

Rory McIlroy pictured during a practice round for the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina | Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

With a US Open and Masters under his belt, Jon Rahm is halfway there. “I would love to do it,” said the Spaniard. “Obviously it's not easy. I think obviously it would be a lot more on my mind if I were to win a third different one, like Jordan has been able to do. But, right now, I'd rather just think more about number three, and if it happens to be The Open or the PGA, then I'll focus on a possible grand slam. I think it's a goal for all of us who play the game.”

After winning both the PGA Championship and The Open last year, Xander Schaufele also has greatness in his sights, as have Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, though they are only a quarter of the way there through both their major wins so far having coming in the same event - The Masters for Scheffler and the US Open in the case of DeChambeau.

Scottie Scheffler likes to ‘stay in the present’

“I do my best when I stay in the present,” insisted Scheffler, who, as the defending champion, at Augusta National last month, slipped the Green Jacket over McIlroy’s shoulders. “(But) it takes a lifetime of work to be able to even have a chance to win major championships, let alone win all four of them. So it was pretty cool to see Rory be able to finish that off and to be there for that moment.”

Though never achieved in the modern era, McIlroy has been tipped by some as a genuine contender for a calendar grand slam this year and, having already won four times at this week’s venue on the PGA Tour, the second leg in that quest is a distinct possibility.

“First and foremost, he's really, really good at golf, so that definitely helps,” observed Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner, including a victory the last time the event was played at Quail Hollow in 2017, when asked about McIlroy’s record at this venue.

Having already won The Masters, US Open and The Open, Jordan Spieth is the latest player to have a chance of completing a career grand slam | Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

“I would argue he's the best driver of the ball I've ever seen, and that is extremely important here. But I think his shot shape, I think this golf course fits a high draw really, really well. When he's on, he has such control of that driver, it seems like he can hit it in a window and an area that some guys are trying to hit short irons.

“That's a tremendous advantage or threat at any golf course, but I feel like a place like this, where it doesn't necessarily require a lot of thought or strategy off the tee, it's generally pulling out driver and just I need to hit this as far and straight as possible - and he's really, really good at that.”

Bob MacIntyre is sole Scot in Quail Hollow field

Scheffler, the world No 1, admits his closest challenger in the rankings has “definitely improved” this year, as evidenced by not only The Masters but wins in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship as well. It certainly won’t have escaped McIlroy’s attention, though that Scheffler was back to his best when landing an eight-shot success in his most recent outing on the PGA Tour.

“There's always little things I'm trying to do to get better, and I think that's why we keep coming back,” said the American, who, of course, was arrested during this event in Louisville 12 months ago over four traffic offences en route to Valhalla for the second round but still made the top ten. “Golf is kind of an endless pursuit of getting the best out of yourself, and I'm looking forward to continuing to do that as the year goes on.”

Bob MacIntyre is watched by his coach Simon Shanks during a practice round at Quail Hollow, where the Scot is playing for the first time | Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

In an event that sees Bob MacIntyre as the sole Scot for the second major in a row, heavy rain disrupted practice rounds on both Monday and Tuesday, but, according to both Spieth and Thomas, this edition of the Wanamaker Trophy event run by the PGA of America has the makings of another cracker after the drama of The Masters.

“There's a number of great golf courses that we play - and this is one of them. There is no faking it and the rough is up a little more than what we normally see when we come here,” said Spieth while Thomas is confident that the set up will be spot on thanks to Kerry Haigh, an Englishman who is one of the best in the business in his role as the PGA of America’s chief championships officer.

“I think Kerry does an unbelievable job of setting up golf courses in the sense that he doesn't try to do anything more than what he has to,” he declared. “He's treating each of them individually, and the goal isn't to try to set up a golf course to produce something in particular. It's just, look, I want to set up a fair golf course and test to show who the best golfer is this week and getting a deserving, fitting winner. I feel like this tournament seems to do that for the most part.”