Rory McIlroy free of grand slam pressure a ‘scary’ prospect, Xander Schauffele says

Rory McIlroy playing free from the burden of chasing a career grand slam is a “scary” prospect for his rivals, according to Open champion Xander Schauffele.

Schauffele said he would not be surprised if the world number two now “rattled off” several more major titles following his dramatic Masters victory at Augusta National.

The 31 year-old Olympic gold medallist, who won both the USPGA and Open crowns last year, made clear he also harbours the dream of claiming all four majors.

“It’s something that’s been written down a long time ago and something I think every golfer should try and achieve,” he said.

“There’s a reason there’s only been six of them [male golfers] to ever do it. But until last year it felt like it was impossible, almost.

“After a year like last year, it definitely lets a young pro like myself dream a little bit more again.

“It’s something I definitely look forward to challenging myself to accomplish in my career. It’ll be a lot of fun to try and do.”

Schauffele recently returned to action after missing two months of competitive golf due to a rib injury. He finished tied eighth at the Masters and feels good about his game heading into the rest of the season.

He described McIlroy’s green jacket win as “incredible for the game of golf”.

“Anything to get eyeballs on our game is a good thing, and him winning the Masters, a generational talent to do what he did, is obviously an incredible achievement,” the American said.

“Again, scary for guys like us. If that was something that was holding him back and now he feels free, that could be a pretty scary thing.”

Asked if McIlroy can now add to his five major wins, Schauffele said: “Yeah, I don’t see why he wouldn’t. He has all the tools, I think, when I look at