This year, Rory McIlroy needs to do one thing above all else – find his motivation again. After finally securing the Green Jacket and completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy seemed to lose his spark.
This year, Rory McIlroy needs to do one thing above all else – find his motivation again.
After finally securing the Green Jacket and completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy seemed to lose his spark. He became noticeably short with the media, his performances dropped off, and he appeared unsure of what came next.
For nearly a decade, that goal had driven him. The 2011 Masters collapse left him with unfinished business, and the weight of that moment lingered over every major since. So once he completed the set, there was an obvious question hanging over him: what now?
The response has been impressive. His homecoming at The Open was met with an electric reception that seemed to reignite something inside him. From there, he went on to win both the Irish Open and an away Ryder Cup in what might have been his most complete season yet.
And as 2026 approaches, McIlroy made it clear that he still has three goals he wants to achieve before stepping away from the game for good.
Rory McIlroy outlines his career goals heading into the 2026 season
McIlroy has won just about everything there is to win in golf, but that doesn’t mean he’s short on motivation. Before this week’s Dubai Desert Classic, he made it clear what’s still on his list.
The Northern Irishman told reporters: “Olympic medal. Open at St Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses, whether it’s Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, Merion.
“Yeah, I would say those. Again, like I keep saying, I would have told you two years ago, if I won the Masters, it would have been great and I could have retired or whatever. But when you keep doing things, the goal posts keep moving and you just keep finding new things that you want to do.
“So yeah, I’m sure if I were to achieve those things — which geez, I hope that I do — I’d probably give you more stuff in four years’ time. I think when you’re a competitive person that’s just the way we’re wired and sort of the way we operate.”
While McIlroy did win at Pebble Beach last year with a victory in the Pro-Am event there’s no question winning an actual US Open Championship held there is another thing entirely.
When Rory McIlroy will have the chance to achieve his three remaining career goals
McIlroy doesn’t have to wait long for a shot at one of those targets. The 2026 US Open heads back to Shinnecock Hills, a venue he’s spoken about wanting to win on. And the schedule over the next several years lines up well for him.
Following that, the tournament moves through some of America’s most storied courses: Pebble Beach, Winged Foot, Pinehurst No. 2, and Merion. That’s five consecutive Opens on tracks that hold real appeal for McIlroy.
As for The Open Championship, it returns to St Andrews in 2027, giving McIlroy another shot at lifting the Claret Jug on a course he deeply respects.
The next Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, with Riviera Country Club hosting the golf competition. That lines up three clear opportunities across three years for McIlroy to chase down each of his remaining goals.
Category: General Sports
