Rory McIlroy’s £77m reality as he faces battle of the thoughts in bid for Masters ‘Holy Grail’

Rory McIlroy has just become only the second player to exceed $100m (£77m) in career earnings on the PGA Tour.

But it’s safe to assume the Northern Irishman would swap most of it, in return for being able call himself a Masters champion.

McIlroy has achieved almost all there is to do in the game of golf. Aside from amassing a huge personal fortune, he has won three of the four Majors, the Fed Ex Cup, and been on five winning European Ryder Cup teams.

But the one thing that has continued to elude him has been the Masters. And while his famous failures at Augusta will not define him, they will certainly feel like a burden across the shoulders of someone who is still agonisingly short of joining the most elusive club in his sport.

Only five golfers have ever won all four of the game’s most treasured prizes. These are Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

The closest McIlroy came to slipping on the Green Jacket was back in 2011, when he had both arms in the most famous blazer in all of sport.

A baby-faced McIlroy teed off in the final round with a commanding four stroke lead. But his now infamous hooked drive into the trees and cabins of the 10th hole sparked a meltdown which still haunts him to this day.

Since then the challenge of emerging triumphant from the azaleas and pines of the most hallowed course in golf has proved too daunting. It has become a battle of the mind as much as his swing – one he has continued to fail.

Golf’s most prestigious event never fails to produce drama and unforgettable moments – and McIlroy has been a major part of the narrative for all the wrong reasons.

And now once again he will go in search of reaching his personal ‘Holy Grail’, when the 2025 tournament begins in Georgia next week.

And also once again, McIlroy will be one of the favourites to win the ultimate prize. If this is to happen, he will have to finish ahead of world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.

The American has won two of the last three Green Jackets, and appears to love the place as much as McIlroy dreads it. But these two are by no means alone in being more than capable of winning.

Xander Schauffele tucked two Majors under his belt in 2024 and has the skill and patience Augusta demands. As does rising European sensation Ludvig Aberg, who finished second on his debut last year, won on the PGA Tour in February and has climbed into the top five of the world rankings.

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And let’s not forget the likes of Collin Morikawa, 2023 champion Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland, who has returned to form, having secured his first Tour win in 18 months at the end of March.

While the exquisite short game skills of Irishman and former Open champion Shane Lowry, have seen some sizeable bets placed on him.

The Masters remains one of the most iconic events in the sporting calendar. And good luck to all those when it comes to picking a winner.

But should it be McIlroy at last, then he can finally etch his name onto the list of the most iconic sportspeople of all time.