'It doesn't just have to be about me...' Rory McIlroy doubles down after Masters claim

Rory McIlroy has doubled down on his claim that reporters should find something else to talk about when he rocks up as the defending champion of The Masters in 2026. 

Moments after McIlroy won The Masters four weeks ago to become just the sixth player in history to complete the career grand slam, he walked into the media centre and told reporters with his opening line: "So what are we going to talk about next year?" 

Off the back of his hilarious comment, one reporter put the question back on McIlroy after the first round of the $20m Truist Championship.

"So Rory, what are we going to talk about  in golf now that the major question is out of the way?" a journalist quizzed McIlroy after he opened with a 68 at Philadelphia Cricket Club. 

With a smirk on his face, McIlroy replied: "Well, hopefully in two weeks time you're talking about me being a six-time major champion instead of five-time major champion."

The PGA Tour superstar then reflected on his Masters claim to the media and said: "I mean, I don't know. I was really referencing like that specific tournament and sort of what we talk about in that building every year for the last 10 years.

"There's enough great story lines in golf, whether it be like Scottie won by a million last week and seems to be playing back to his best. You've got Jordan Spieth going for the career grand slam next week. You've got a lot of exciting stuff happening in the women's game.

"There's always great story lines in golf, and it certainly doesn't just have to be about me."

McIlroy is this week making his first individual start on the PGA Tour since his capturing his fifth career major and first in nearly 11 years at The Masters. 

He did compete in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Shane Lowry three weeks ago but that was a team event where the defending champions went on to finish T12.

McIlroy's opening round in his title defence at the Truist Championship was solid without being spectacular, but he thought that might be the case. 

The Ulsterman made six birdies and two bogeys to open with a respectable 4-under 66, but it leaves him five shots off the early pace set by Keith Mitchell.

McIlroy admits there is still a bit of rust in his game after a couple of weeks away from the sport, but the goal this week is for him to very much get his game in working order for next week's PGA Championship at one of his favourite Tour stops in the world. 

The PGA Championship is being staged at Quail Hollow Club, a venue he has won on a record four times on Tour.

McIlroy will attempt to win back-to-back majors to give him a shot at becoming the first player in the history of our sport to clean sweep all four majors in one calendar year, not something Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus ever did. 

"Look, to me, this is -- I don't want to diminish this tournament [Truist Championship] and this championship, but to me, with everything that's happened over the past couple of weeks, this was always going to be a great prep week for me to see where my game was and sort of refine a few things," said an honest McIlroy. 

"I still want to play well, and I still want to have a chance to win the tournament, but I'll have a really -- a much better gauge of where my game is going into next week after these four days than I would have had if I hadn't had played or if I just spent the week at home practicing. So it's an important week for me."

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