Approaching his thirty-sixth birthday next month, he maintains an unwavering conviction that he has become a demonstrably superior player over the past decade, a belief for which countervailing evidence is conspicuously sparse.

Having traversed the demanding landscape of professional golf for eighteen years, he had never previously known the sensation of claiming victory on three occasions before the advent of May in any given season. He now luxuriates in an unprecedented sense of emancipation, engaging in play with what he terms "house money"—a sum utterly disconnected from the princely $13.2 million already amassed over six tournaments on the PGA Tour this season.

彼はマスターズを制覇し、その比類なき功績はゴルフ史に不朽の金字塔を打ち立てた。

Now, ensconced in the upper echelons of the Augusta National Clubhouse, he is afforded a personal locker, within which resides the coveted, eternally-awaiting Size 38 Green Jacket.

Furthermore, a distinguished place is reserved for him at the Masters Club Dinner every Tuesday evening – a testament to the eleven arduous years consecrated to this achievement. A truly sublime sentiment.

Following his triumph, McIlroy, head bowed at the 18th green, felt a surge of emotion, a palpable sense of relief that transcended mere satisfaction. He articulated, with candid introspection, that "the joy hit me pretty much straight after," a sentiment demonstrably evident in his countenance as Scottie Scheffler ceremoniously draped the coveted green jacket upon his shoulders.

"What will the dominant narratives be next year?" posited McIlroy initially within the sanctuary of the Butler Cabin, and subsequently as he commenced his press conference – an articulation that encapsulates the very essence of the liberation he experiences.

What complex developments might the ensuing month bring to fruition?

Having already achieved a Career Grand Slam, it is not premature to contemplate a calendar-year Grand Slam from this juncture, particularly given that the remaining major tournaments this year appear to be conducive to his strengths.

The upcoming PGA Championship at Quail Hollow next month carries heightened anticipation, particularly considering Rory McIlroy's formidable track record there, having triumphed on no fewer than four occasions.

When posed the fantastical hypothetical last summer of which venue he would unilaterally select for the Tour Championship were FedEx Cup's paramount contenders afforded such an unprecedented prerogative, McIlroy unhesitatingly designated Quail Hollow.

The US Open is slated to be held at Oakmont, a sprawling course ideally suited for the long hitter, notwithstanding his ignominious exit on his previous appearance, when a rain-interrupted opening round protracted over two days saw him card a desultory 77, ultimately leading to his premature departure before the weekend.

The Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, McIlroy's home turf, where he is compelled to expiate past regrets; last time at Portrush, excessive expectation precipitated a calamitous opening tee shot that went out of bounds, resulting in a quintuple bogey and an eventual failure to make the cut.

On this occasion, a sense of liberation, rather than the weight of expectation, appears to hold dominion over him.

The discourse surrounding McIlroy has shifted from what he previously lacked to what further triumphs he is yet to achieve, though these remain future considerations.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Scheffler, who shared moments with the other participants in the Butler Cabin and during the trophy presentation, remarked, "While I cannot fully comprehend the experience of being questioned about a career Grand Slam, being asked 'You've achieved this, but not that' can, at times, be an exceedingly burdensome feeling."

Brad Faxon, his close friend and putting companion, posited that McIlroy was now an unstoppable force, capable even of doubling his current tally of major championships. "He can extend that to ten victories," Faxon asserted with conviction.

At one juncture, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus posited that the nascent Tiger Woods possessed the inherent aptitude to amass a tally of ten green jackets, a number commensurate with their combined acquisitions. Woods subsequently achieved half of that formidable objective.

Rory McIlroy still remembers Pádraig Harrington's pronouncement that "if you're going to talk about someone challenging Jack's record, he's the man," a declaration uttered when McIlroy stood but 18 holes shy of his maiden major triumph at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.

Jack Nicklaus holds the golfing world's benchmark with eighteen major championships, a tally Rory McIlroy, currently level with Brooks Koepka at five, trails Tiger Woods by ten victories.

The prevailing excitement is utterly captivating, positioning this Masters as an indelible chapter in Augusta National's annals, a paradigm of sporting brilliance that rivals the luminous triumphs of legends like Woods (2019, 2001, 1997), Nicklaus (1986, 1975), and Arnold Palmer (1960).

Yet, for McIlroy, this victory represented no facile trajectory, but rather the culmination of sixteen years of arduous endeavour, not merely Sunday's triumph. It marked his first major championship in eleven years, and in the preceding sixteen attempts, he had advanced to the back nine with a palpable sense of titular possibility on a mere two occasions.

The indelible scars were etched by players of the calibre of Greg Norman, Tom Weiskopf, David Duval, and Ken Venturi.

Two years subsequent to his arduous contention at the US Open, McIlroy had avowed his willingness to endure a century of such Sundays in pursuit of another major championship, and his forbearance would have extended to a millennium of Sundays for the acquisition of the coveted Green Jacket.

Rory McIlroy has now ascended into the rarefied ranks of golf's cognoscenti, becoming the sixth luminary to achieve the coveted Career Grand Slam, joining an exclusive pantheon comprising Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. However, it is imperative to contextualize this accomplishment: the modern conception of the Career Grand Slam was not formally delineated until Arnold Palmer coined the term in 1960, and a rigorous historical analysis reveals that, in actuality, only four of these celebrated figures truly 'completed' the feat as it is presently understood.

The only other individual to achieve a career Grand Slam by triumphing at the Masters was Gene Sarazen, who accomplished this feat at the tournament’s sophomore iteration in 1935, a period preceding its formal designation as the Masters, when the champion was officially acknowledged as the victor of the Augusta National Invitation Tournament; the conferral of the Green Jacket commenced in 1949, with the inception of the Masters Club Dinner following in 1952.

McIlroy, a truly singular athlete, was poised to finally surmount the final hurdle at the Masters, unique amongst all majors in its consistent venue—a moment of unparalleled significance.

Contemplating the magnitude of this prodigious feat, it becomes apparent not only which pantheon of golfing titans he has joined, but also whose absence is conspicuous from golf's Mount Rushmore.

Though Sam Snead shares the PGA Tour record of 82 career victories, his lack of a U.S. Open title excludes him from that esteemed company; Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, has amassed a more illustrious career than McIlroy, lacking only the final piece of the Grand Slam: the U.S. Open.

Despite their monumental contributions to golf—Tom Watson's formidable 39 career victories and 8 majors, and Arnold Palmer's unparalleled seismic impact on the modern game—neither icon ever managed to secure a victory at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy may have once entertained the notion that he was merely one of the 'almost great' players, yet his recent Masters triumph has seemingly emancipated him from that burden, thus inaugurating a novel narrative arc centered on the boundless potential of his future ascent.