Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy is bidding to become just the sixth men’s golfer in history to win the Career Grand Slam when he competes in the 2023 US Masters. The former world number one goes into the tournament as one of the leading contenders for the trophy.
Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only five players to have won the US Masters, US PGA Championship, Open Championship and US Open in their careers, so McIlroy will be joining an elite club should he prevail at Augusta National.
Excellent Form Reflected in the Betting
McIlroy is the 8/1 second favourite in the odds on US Masters for the opening Major Championship of 2023. He sits behind world number one Scottie Scheffler in the outright market for the Green Jacket.
Along with Scheffler, Jon Rahm, the Open champion Cameron Smith and 2015 winner Jordan Spieth, he will be expected to be in the mix on the final day of the Major. The 33-year-old will be making his 15th appearance in the tournament, so he won’t be short of experience at the Georgia venue.
Last year was an excellent 12 months for the man from Northern Ireland. He was successful in three PGA Tour events, his best return in a calendar year since 2019. In June, he won the Canadian Open for the second time in his career. He finished that event on -19, which was two strokes clear of the rest of the field.
In what was the opening event of the 2022/23 campaign, McIlroy came out on top in the CJ Cup. He looked in great form at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina back in October. That was his 23rd PGA Tour victory.
Liking For Augusta
Although he has yet to prevail at Augusta in the US Masters, it is a course where McIlroy has often produced his best golf. He was second there in 2022 in the tournament which was won by Scheffler. A final round of 64 ensured he finished on -7, three shots behind the American.
The four-time Major winner will be hoping for four solid rounds this year, which will help his pursuit of the trophy and the career Grand Slam. A lot of the spotlight will be on him, but he has shown he can handle the media attention and pressure which comes with his shot at history.
In what is a big year for McIlroy, he is expected to return to Europe for the Ryder Cup in September in Rome, as Europe look to win this team competition for the first time since 2018.
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