Gary Player 'shocked' by Rory McIlroy comments – but did he get them right?

Gary Player has admitted he is “shocked” by Rory McIlroy’s recent comments about his motivation, insisting the Northern Irishman should be chasing another career Grand Slam rather than reducing his schedule.

McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam by winning The Masters in April 2025 before successfully defending the Green Jacket 12 months later.

Now 37, the six-time major champion has acknowledged that his priorities have changed and that he is becoming more selective with his schedule as he looks to spend more time with his wife Erica and daughter Poppy.

That approach has left Player, a nine-time major champion and fellow career Grand Slam winner, questioning McIlroy’s thinking.

What did McIlroy actually say?

Speaking after the third round of last month’s Tour Championship, McIlroy admitted his enthusiasm for playing certain tournaments has diminished as his career has progressed.

“I think when you start to lose that excitement about going to the golf course, that's probably when you need to take a break,” McIlroy said.

He also acknowledged that he has played tournaments in the past despite not really wanting to be there because he felt obliged to compete.

McIlroy also confirmed he will never play four tournaments in a row again, while admitting his “fuse is a little shorter than it used to be”.

However, he did not say that winning the Grand Slam had caused him to lose his desire to play, nor has he cut back his practice time, as Player has suggested below. 

Player takes aim at McIlroy

Speaking to The Golf Supply, Player, 90, criticised what he perceived to be McIlroy’s reduced appetite for competition.

“I hear Rory with the best swing in the world saying, ‘now I’ve won the Grand Slam, I don’t have the same desire to play a lot’. Man, he should be saying, ‘I want to win another Grand Slam’. I’m shocked,” said Player.

“And then he says, ‘I don’t believe in hitting a lot of balls’. Well, that’s c**p. If you hit a lot of balls, you build up a determination and it makes you work harder, makes your muscles better. He comes out with very strange things.”

Player’s comments come despite McIlroy continuing to enjoy considerable success.

Having won The Masters in 2025 to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy successfully defended his title in April 2026.

Only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have completed more than one career Grand Slam, with both achieving the feat three times.

McIlroy would need another U.S. Open and Open Championship to join them with a second Slam. The U.S. Open heads to Pebble Beach in 2027 before The Open returns to St Andrews the following month.

Player, meanwhile, won nine majors during his career, including three Masters, three Open Championships and two PGA Championships. He won his only U.S. Open in 1965.

McIlroy has also won 30 PGA Tour titles, including a record three FedEx Cups, alongside seven Race to Dubai titles.

He is currently chasing a joint record eighth Race to Dubai title and remains in contention at the top of the DP World Tour Rankings, with the Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship and season-ending Playoffs still to come.

The 37-year-old is also a six-time Ryder Cup winner from eight appearances.

For now, McIlroy is focused on the Irish Open at Trump Doonbeg, where he is defending the title he won at the K Club last season.

A third victory would put him alongside Seve Ballesteros, Colin Montgomerie, Sir Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer as the event’s only three-time winners.

McIlroy has also been asked about Donald Trump’s expected appearance at the tournament, admitting the U.S. President’s presence will make the event feel “different”.

“But at the same time, if he wants to come and watch the Irish Open, who are we to say no?” McIlroy told BBC Sport NI.

He has also weighed in on LIV Golf’s bankruptcy protection filing, predicting that some players could now leave the league.

“I would predict that you'll see some guys leave,” McIlroy said, adding that the changes could ultimately benefit the DP World Tour.

For all of Player’s criticism, McIlroy’s comments appear to be more about being selective with his schedule than losing his desire to win.

And with another two majors needed for a second career Grand Slam, there is still plenty left for the Northern Irishman to chase.