Rory McIlroy is one of just six men to have won the career grand slam and will go down as one of, if not the, best golfers of his entire generation.
The five-time Major champion is known for his otherworldly ball striking, his picture-perfect swing and his incredibly power off the tee, and he has left a number of his playing partners in awe over the years.
From reducing multiple winners to joking they want to “quit” the game after playing alongside him to making others question how on earth they compete with him, here are some of the times McIlroy’s fellow pros have been wowed…
Akshay Bhatia: 2025 Masters
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Akshay Bhatia enjoyed a front-row seat for the start of Rory McIlroy’s epic Masters victory last year, playing with the to-be grand slam champion for the first two rounds.
The American was taken aback by McIlroy’s play, revealing how he felt on GOLF’s Subpar podcast a couple of weeks later.
“I’ve never seen someone hit a driver that good,” Bhatia said.
“He played great the first round and made a couple of doubles and somehow I beat him the first round.
“And I was like, man, that guy, he played so freaking good. And you almost feel like, how do I compete with that?
“He hits it far, he hits it straight, his wedge play was great. He didn’t miss I don’t think inside 10 feet on Friday.”
Xander Schauffele: 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Xander Schauffele admitted he was in awe of Rory McIlroy in the final round of the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, where the Northern Irishman hit the accelerator on the back nine to win his fourth title at Quail Hollow by five strokes
Schauffele held a one-shot lead overnight and the tournament looked set for a tight finish, before “unbelievable” McIlroy found a different gear to race clear and claim his 26th PGA Tour title.
“When you take a step back, yeah,” Schauffele said, when asked whether he found himself admiring his opponent.
“He’s Rory McIlroy, you know?
“He hits it 350 yards in the air downwind and he has shorter clubs into firm greens than anyone else.
“When he’s on, he’s on. Hats off to him for winning. Yeah, he played unbelievably…
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