Rory: Slam chance will be "fun"
Rory McIlroy kisses the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool. Picture Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie
Rory McIlroy wants to get the career Grand Slam out of the way so he can get on with winning it again.
The Holywood star will head to Augusta National next April searching for the Masters title that would make him just the sixth player alongside Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gary Player to win all four modern majors.
Rory said: "It will be a great chance for me to put that little milestone to bed and go forward.
"Before that, there is still the USPGA Championship to play at Valhalla and I want to play well there but going to Augusta next April — with three legs of the grand slam under my belt — is going to be a lot of fun.
"I'd love to pull it off.
"I will be going with a lot of motivation. I will be doing everything I can to prepare the best way I can."
McIlroy wants to become the game's next dominant player after Tiger Woods.
But whether he pulls that off or not, he's already miles ahead in the popularity stakes.
Returning the Hoylake clubhouse on Sunday for TV interviews, he took selfies with the dozens of volunteers.
Even as confirmed Manchester United fan, the Liverpudlian volunteers took him to their hearts.
As they waited for him to re-a after his interviews, the chanted, "RORY, RORY, RORY" football style and erupted when he joined them again.
Unlike the cool, aloof Woods he has the charisma to become a true megastar of the game.
Tipped to earn ONE BILLION dollars in endorsement income over the course of his career, he's capable now of challenging not just Woods' 14 wins but the 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus.
Having broken his duck in what he always thought would be the hardest major for him to win, he's freewheeling again.
