- 35-year-old pro golfer Rory McIlroy became the sixth player to complete a career grand slam after winning the Masters Tournament Sunday for the first time. In a press conference in 2022, McIlroy reflected on his success up to then and gave some timeless advice to a fellow Gen Z golfer that goes far beyond the world of sports.
Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the first time Sunday, cementing his name in golf history and netting him a $4.2 million payday, but his advice for getting to the top has more to do with life than sports.
The 35-year-old McIlroy clinched his first Masters Sunday since going pro in 2007, and after a nerve-wracking sudden-death win, he is now only the sixth pro golfer ever to complete a career grand slam by winning all four major golf championships: the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship. Among the other five winners are golf legends like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Thanks to his golf success, McIlroy has made more than $100 million in prize money over his career, and reportedly has a net worth of about $200 million.
During a press conference following the 2022 CJ Cup in South Carolina, McIlroy was asked a surprise question by a then 20-year-old up-and-coming pro Tom Kim about managing his success.
“What’s it like having so much success as a young player? Coming out and many years on tour, how do you manage all that,” Kim asked McIlroy.
Chuckling, McIlroy gave his Gen Z colleague some pro golfer advice that not only applies to world-famous athletes, but also to career professionals looking to reach the top of their game.
“I think the biggest thing that I realized is managing your time,” McIlroy said. “You’re going to be pulled in so many different directions. You’ve got one, two, three, four, I can see five sponsors on you at this point, right?
“So it’s just trying to manage your time to realize what got you to this position, right? Why are you a two-time PGA Tour winner, why are you such a great player? And it’s the time that you put into it and it’s the practice, it’s not losing sight of that.”
At the end, McIlroy said juggling his responsibilities adequately helps him stay at the top, even though he said it’s harder to maintain the crown than to win it.
“I’ve almost found it easier to get to No. 1 in the world than staying there. I think staying there is harder. I think you’ve got a bulls-eye on your back, you’ve got to work harder, everyone’s coming after you. That’s the one thing I would say is just managing your time and not forgetting why you’re in this position and why you’re so lucky to get to play with me the next two days,” McIlroy added.
McIlroy is currently the second-best player in the world behind last year’s Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, according to the PGA Tour. In 2022, McIlroy finished second to Scheffler in the Masters, losing by three strokes.
McIlroy has fallen short of winning the Masters more than once, and has faced multiple setbacks—even this year, he suffered a slight elbow injury just before the Masters and scored a disastrous double-bogey on the first hole—but he made history with Sunday’s win.
Speaking during the post-tournament press conference, McIlroy said for years he carried the burden of trying to join the ranks of the pros who have completed a career grand slam, and along the way saw many of his peers win the Masters and earn the esteemed green jacket before him. Still, McIlroy said he was never shaken.
“It’s been 14 long years, but thankfully I got the job done,” he said.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
