Just as it's been every year for the last decade, one of the biggest storylines coming into the 2025 edition of The Masters is whether Rory McIlroy can become just the sixth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam.
What's wild, of course, is that McIlroy, who won the U.S. Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014, should've won his very first major championship at Augusta National back in 2011.
Holding a four-stroke lead entering Sunday's final round, Rory maintained a slim advantage heading into his second nine but famously collapsed on the back side, firing a 7-over 43 en route to a final-round 80, ultimately finishing 10 shots back of winner Charl Schwartzel in a tie for 15th.
This year marks McIlroy's 11th attempt at the Slam, and while he's had some close calls over the previous 10, finishing in the top 10 on six occasions, the Northern Irishman just hasn't been able to get over the hump.
Many believe he'll finally slip on that elusive green jacket this year, as he comes to Augusta having hoisted two PGA Tour trophies before the month of April for the first time in his career, taking titles at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship.
But even if he doesn't join the career Grand Slam club that currently includes only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods, McIlroy recently joined Tiger in an even more exclusive group.
Rory McIlroy recently joined Tiger Woods in the PGA Tour's $100 million club
By taking the $4.5 million winner's share of the purse at The Players, Rory surpassed Phil Mickelson for second place on the all-time PGA Tour money list, upping his on-course earnings to $99,709,062.
From there, McIlroy opted for one final tune-up for Augusta, recently teeing it up at the Texas Children's Houston Open.
And while the 35-year-old got off to a bit of a slow start with an even-par round of 70 at Memorial Park, he shot 66-65-64 over the next three days to finish at 15-under for the week, ultimately tying for fifth alongside Wyndham Clark, Taylor Pendrith, and Alejandro Tosti.
With that finish, McIlroy earned just short of $337,844, thus bringing his career on-course earnings on the PGA Tour to $100,046,906.
As such, Rory is just the second member of the $100 million club and is now only chasing Tiger Woods, who sits atop the list at $120,999,166 and will seemingly remain on that figure for the foreseeable future as he recovers from the Achilles injury that will keep him out of this year's Masters field.
It's not a matter of if Rory will pass Tiger, but when. It won't be this week, but McIlroy is undoubtedly hoping to get a few million closer by joining his good friend as a Masters champ and a career Grand Slam winner.