Stewart Cink praises Rory McIlroy
Stewart Cink said Rory McIlroy occupies a rare position in professional golf because he is popular with both fellow players and fans. Cink discussed McIlroy on the Beyond the Clubhouse podcast released Oct. 3, 2026.
Cink said McIlroy is well liked by the public and his peers, noting that those groups do not always agree about golfers. He also said people wanted McIlroy to win the Masters for good reason.
Stewart Cink recalls Masters pressure
Stewart Cink focused on the pressure Rory McIlroy faced on the final hole of the 2025 Masters. McIlroy held a 1-stroke lead but missed a 5-foot par putt, forcing a playoff.
Cink emphasized how difficult that moment was for McIlroy as he pursued his first Masters title. The missed putt left McIlroy and Justin Rose tied at 11 under after 72 holes at Augusta National.
Rory McIlroy wins Masters playoff
Rory McIlroy defeated Justin Rose on the first playoff hole at the 2025 Masters. McIlroy hit his approach to about 3 feet and made the birdie after Rose missed his attempt from about 15 feet.
The victory gave McIlroy his first Masters title and 5th major championship. It ended a major drought dating to 2014, when McIlroy won both The Open Championship and the PGA Championship during the same season.
Rory McIlroy completes Grand Slam
Rory McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam with his 2025 Masters victory. He became the 6th male golfer to win the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship and The Open Championship during his career.
McIlroy joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in that group. His previous major titles came at the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, and 2 majors in 2014.
Rory McIlroy defends Masters title
Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title at Augusta National on April 12, 2026. He finished at 12 under, 1 stroke ahead of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, to capture his sixth major championship.
McIlroy became the 4th golfer to win consecutive Masters titles. Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods were the only players to accomplish the feat before McIlroy joined them with his second green jacket.
Rory McIlroy reaches 30 Tour wins
Rory McIlroy reached 30 PGA Tour victories with his second Masters title in 2026. The victory tied him with Horton Smith for 16th on the PGA Tour career wins list, according to official records.
The victory also raised McIlroy’s major championship total to 6. That total tied him with Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson for 12th on the all-time men’s major championship wins list.
Rory McIlroy stays near world top
Rory McIlroy remained among golf’s leading players during the 2026 PGA Tour season. As of Oct. 6, the PGA Tour listed him at world No. 2 with 6 top-10 finishes across 14 starts.
PGA Tour records listed McIlroy with 14 made cuts and 9 top-25 finishes in 2026. His official PGA Tour earnings for the season stood at $11,573,749 as of early October.
Rory McIlroy remains elite off tee
Rory McIlroy remained among the PGA Tour’s longest hitters in 2026. As of Oct. 6, Tour statistics listed his average driving distance at 330.3 yards, ranking second among measured players that season.
McIlroy ranked 3rd in strokes gained total and second in strokes gained off the tee. He ranked 38th in strokes gained putting, while his 69.22 scoring average ranked 14th in current Tour statistics.
Rory McIlroy chases eighth title
Rory McIlroy entered the closing stretch of 2026 pursuing an 8th Race to Dubai title. He had already won the DP World Tour season-long competition 7 times, including 4 consecutive titles from 2022 through 2025.
McIlroy’s seventh title moved him past Seve Ballesteros, who won 6 European season crowns. As of Oct. 7, McIlroy was chasing 2026 Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed while seeking to match Colin Montgomerie’s record of 8 titles.
Fun fact: At 16 years old, Rory McIlroy won the 2005 Irish Amateur Close Championship at Westport Golf Club, making him the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.
Rory McIlroy earns 6th team win
Rory McIlroy earned 3.5 points for Europe at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Europe defeated the United States 15 to 13, giving McIlroy his sixth Ryder Cup team victory during his career.
Official Ryder Cup records show McIlroy moved within 1 team victory of the European record of 7 held by Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. Bethpage marked McIlroy’s eighth consecutive appearance in the competition.
Stewart Cink congratulates McIlroy
Stewart Cink said he congratulated Rory McIlroy after McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam. Cink recalled speaking with him later in 2025 at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Cink said he told McIlroy he was proud of him for following through and winning at Augusta. The 2009 Open champion emphasized the intense pressure McIlroy had faced while pursuing his first Masters title.
Stewart Cink brings major experience
Stewart Cink brought major championship experience to his assessment of Rory McIlroy. Cink won The Open in 2009 and continued competing on PGA Tour Champions, where he recorded 5 victories during the 2026 season.
Cink won the 2026 Senior PGA Championship for his first senior major title. He finished 19 under, 6 strokes ahead of Ben Crane, after closing with a 9-under 63.
McIlroy’s Masters victory drew praise from Scheffler for the persistence behind his long-awaited breakthrough. Explore why Scottie Scheffler praises Rory McIlroy’s resilience after the Masters win and what impressed him most.
Rory McIlroy earns player respect
Rory McIlroy’s career Grand Slam gave Stewart Cink a chance to describe how fellow professionals viewed the achievement. Cink said most players liked McIlroy and recognized the pressure he faced in his pursuit of the Masters.
Cink also said McIlroy was unusual because public support and player support aligned around him. His comments came after McIlroy won the 2025 Masters and before he successfully defended the title in April 2026.
Golf’s biggest tournaments can turn on a handful of decisions during the closing holes on Sunday. Inside the pressure of Sunday back-nine moments in golf history explores the defining situations that tested players at the highest stakes.
Do you think Rory McIlroy’s support from fellow players makes his success even more impressive? Share your thoughts in the comments.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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