Sir Nick Faldo picks the only four players in golfing history who he considers better than Rory McIlroy now

Whatever happens over the remainder of his career, there is no question at all that the 2025 Masters provided the moment in which Rory McIlroy secured sporting immortality.

Rory McIlroy would have been forgiven for thinking that victory at The Masters would never come. The Northern Irishman had gone 11 years without winning a major, while he has also spent that time a green jacket away from completing the career grand slam.

The 35-year-old did his absolute best to make sure that run continued last week. McIlroy made two double bogeys late on Thursday to seemingly end his challenge before it ever really got going. Meanwhile, few will ever forget how they felt when he found Rae’s Creek on 13 on Sunday with the victory within his grasp.

It was a performance which summed up McIlroy’s last decade in the majors. There has arguably been no player more impressive since he burst onto the scene. But that has not always translated into success in the sport’s four biggest events.

Sir Nick Faldo shares where he ranks Rory McIlroy amongst the all-time greats

But any doubts about McIlroy have now been put to bed. He became the sixth player ever to complete the career grand slam after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

And while plenty of players – including Sir Nick Faldo – have won more majors than McIlroy, it seems that the grand slam elevates him into another tier.

In fact, Faldo has told The Times that McIlroy only has four names ahead of him now in his mind.

“It’s a whole different kettle of fish nowadays. He’s done way more than me. He’s won 29 times in America,” he said.

“Of the all-time greats, I’d put him fifth. Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack [Nicklaus] and Tiger [Woods]. Rory is right there. No discredit to Gene Sarazen, but that was a completely different era. I’ve hardly seen any footage of him, but achieving the grand slam puts you in a different category.”

Not everyone agrees with Faldo’s view on Rory McIlroy

It really comes down to what criteria you judge golfers on. Jon Rahm said he would rather have six majors than the career grand slam, in an interview held before The Masters.

Meanwhile, Brandel Chamblee suggested that McIlroy was now inside the top 20 of all-time, but still had Phil Mickelson in front of him. Mickelson, of course, has never won the US Open during his career.

You can understand why Faldo believes that the grand slam changes everything. Ultimately, it is four completely different tests of golf. And McIlroy has managed to triumph at each of them at various stages of his career.

It is going to be difficult for McIlroy to break into Faldo’s top four. However, it would now not be a surprise to see his tallies improve to the point where he makes a big move in Chamblee’s standings.