Back in Charlotte, Rory McIlroy reflects on why second Masters win was ‘different’
A year ago, a few weeks after his first Masters Tournament win, one of the greatest golfers in history was in Charlotte when he admitted that it took a lot to adjust to regular life — to regulate after such a career-defining, mind-bending win.
Wednesday, Rory McIlory found himself in the same place, under similar circumstances, his second Masters win in two years in-hand.
And, he admitted, it was different.
“A lot different,” McIlory, the 37-year-old PGA star said at a news conference Wednesday in the media tent at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. “Even winning felt different.”
He continued: “I felt like winning the Grand Slam was going to be this life-changing thing. And in some ways it was. But in other ways, I had to remember like, ‘No, I still have a lot of my career left, and I want to keep playing and keep competing.’ So this year was I think winning was validation for all the work that I’ve put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I’m winning majors. I’m excited for the road ahead. ...
“If anything, I’m more motivated after what happened at Augusta this year than I’ve ever been.”
McIlory, now with two green jackets in his closet, is embarking on his fifth PGA win at Quail Hollow this week. McIlory credits “getting his career going” here, at this tournament, notching his first win on TOUR in 2010 and not looking back since.
But naturally, coming up on four weeks since becoming the first repeat winner of the Masters since Tiger Woods did it in 2001-02, the win is still on his mind. He said it was the way he won that still sticks with him.
“Honestly, reflecting on it, I made the double on 4, but then from the 5th tee until I would say the second shot on 17, I didn’t miss a shot,” he said. “I played, I swung it good, I hit the shots I wanted to hit. I was really proud of that because Saturday was a struggle. So to be able to bounce back and turn it around and then feel and play the way I did on Sunday was, I was really proud of that.”
He wasn’t the only one in his family that noticed his Masters win was a bit different. McIlory said that his wife, Erica Stall, and his 5-year-old daughter, Poppy, each had different reactions to the first and second wins.
“I think for Poppy it sort of seems normal for her now to just go into Butler Cabin at the end of the day and have a grilled cheese and talk with the chairman,” McIlory said. He laughed. “But it was amazing to have everyone there. ... We were flying back on the Monday afterward, and she always has a tennis lesson on Monday afternoon, and I thought ‘OK, maybe today we can bin the tennis lesson.’ And she’s like, ‘No I want to play tennis.’ And I’m like, ‘Sure, let’s go, let’s do it.’
“So as soon as we get home, she’s the one that rules the roost. But it was awesome, and it was so nice to have that time with everyone afterward as well and really enjoy it.”
Rory McIlory loves the challenge of Charlotte, Quail Hollow
Beyond winning his second Masters, McIlory had a lot to share ahead of his week — which he won most recently in May 2024.
A sampling:
On what makes the 18th hole — the punctuation mark of what’s known as The Green Mile — so difficult: “It depends on the wind primarily. It usually plays downwind if it’s the prevailing wind. I have, over the last few years, taken less than driver. Because if I hit driver it starts to pinch in where I would hit the driver. So I usually hit a 3-wood into the wider part of the fairway. But it’s a hard tee shot because it forces you to hit something right to left. There’s overhanging trees on the left. ... But the 18th hole here doesn’t really allow to you do that too much, so it can be a pretty uncomfortable tee shot at times. And then if you do get your tee shot away, you’re just really trying to hit it in a that middle of the green and if you can hole a 30-footer for birdie, great. If not, 4 is always a good score.”
On what he could glean in his 9-hole practice round Wednesday morning: “Slightly different setup than the PGA last year (when it was a major), and slightly different conditions. It’s been very dry here by all accounts, so the greens are very firm. The rough is down a little bit. Sort of more, probably more in keeping with what the golf course was like in 2024, when the tournament was last here. The course is great. The greens visually don’t look amazing, but they roll really well, and they’re very firm. I think we’re expecting a little bit of rain tonight and into tomorrow, which will probably help a little bit as well.”
On playing in Charlotte: “I feel like I’ve gotten more out of this golf tournament than I’ve given back to it in a way. Because we do get incredible support every time we come here. It’s not just me, I think every player in this field would feel the same way. The atmosphere of this tournament is what makes it stand apart from some of the others on Tour. Yeah, it’s amazing how the community rallies behind this event. It is nice to come back to the same place for so many years, and you see familiar faces. So yeah, as I said, it’s always nice coming back here.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Back in Charlotte, Rory McIlroy reflects on why second Masters win was ‘different’."
