Rory McIlroy’s coach makes retirement claim after Masters win and PGA Championship disappointment

Rory McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam when he finally ended his wait to win the Masters at Augusta National last month, and did so with the help of Brad Faxon

Rory McIlroy’s putting coach, Brad Faxon, believes the Northern Irishman would be well within his rights to call it quits after completing the career Grand Slam in April.

McIlroy finally ended his wait for a fifth major championship and the Masters title, pipping Justin Rose in a playoff to get his hands on the Green Jacket at Augusta National. It was a career-defining moment for the 36-year-old, who joined the likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in winning all four majors.

There appears to be nothing else to win for McIlroy, having now got his hands on every major honor in the sport. And if he were to shock the sport and retire tomorrow, Faxon believes there could be no complaints.

“Nobody would fault him if he said, ‘I’m good, I don’t have to do this anymore’,” the putting guru told The Smylie Show while discussing McIlroy’s win. Joining forces with the European Ryder Cup star in 2018, Faxon has played an integral role in making McIlroy one of the best players on the planet.

During McIlroy’s crowning week in Georgia, Faxon was on-site as part of NBC’s coverage of the opening major of the year. As a member of the media, the former PGA Tour man was keen to remain as neutral as possible whilst covering the event.

His loyalties to McIlroy, however, meant he was pulling for his client every step of the way. “I feel like most of the world wanted Rory to win this,” Faxon explained. “It is funny because we are supposed to be not biased or prejudiced when we talk.

“I am in that awkward and interesting position of having been part of Rory’s team for so long now. To reach that goal, and to do it at the Masters. I always thought Rory would definitely win more majors before he won the Masters. I didn’t know he would win the Masters before he won another one of those majors.”

There were hopes of the Northern Irishman going back-to-back at this month’s PGA Championship, but an underwhelming performance saw him finish well off the pace, as Scottie Scheffler secured his third major crown. It was far from a quiet week for McIlroy, though.

After finishing his opening round on Thursday, it was first reported by Sirius XM that the five-time major champion had failed a routine USGA driver test, ensuring he was forced to swap out the club at the top of his bag on the eve of the championship.

McIlroy failed to comment on the violation after opting to pass on media duties after all four rounds in Charlotte. He was not the only one to not conform to driver regulations at Quail Hollow, with Scheffler admitting he was forced into a driver swap in the aftermath of his victory.