'Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This week, it's all about the fallout from The Masters.
Another Masters Tournament is in the books, and what a championship we just witnessed.
Rory McIlroy successfully defended his title at Augusta National, but it was not without its drama as a six-shot lead disappeared on Saturday and multiple players battled it out with the Northern Irishman for the Green Jacket during the final round.
While the likes of Justin Rose, Cameron Young, Russell Henley and Sam Burns all had their opportunities to clinch immortality, it was McIlroy who crossed the finish line ahead and transformed himself from a five-time Major winner to a six-time champion.
The question in a lot of people's minds now is 'what next?' Can the man who struggled to add a fifth Major for so long now kick on and cement himself as one of the sport's best ever?
On the flip side, what about those who didn't quite manage their aims? While there can only be one winner, the tales of those who fell short make for equally interesting deliberation. Can Justin Rose recover from his latest heartbreak? What happened to one of the pre-tournament favorites Jon Rahm?
We will answer each of those questions and more in this week's Inside The Ropes. And if you have any thoughts on any of the subjects we touch on, please feel free to use the comment box below this article to share your opinions.
IS RORY MCILROY THE GREATEST EUROPEAN GOLFER EVER?
EH: Now McIlroy has matched Sir Nick Faldo's total of six Majors, I genuinely believe he can lay claim to being Europe's greatest ever golfer.
The stats certainly point to him when you add up his entire body of work, from Majors, to being the only man from his continent to win the career slam, his Ryder Cup record, PGA Tour wins, time spent as World No.1 and his season-long FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai titles.
When you add it all up, he's on top. He is also 36 and remains in his prime years with plenty more achievements to come.
JL: My reservations over anything like this are always centered around a desire not to be led by recency bias - people understandably find it easier to put current achievements into context more easily.
But, either way, looking at cold, hard figures and stats while comparing the careers of players like Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros, it all paints McIlroy as the best European player ever in so many categories.
I'd say it's close, but McIlroy is now the best ever. Should he win two or three more Majors, there won't even be a reasonable debate.
WHAT NEXT FOR RORY MCILROY?
EH: Phil Mickelson didn't win his first Major until the age of 33, so McIlroy sitting there with six Majors at 36 is very, very impressive.
He struggled with knowing what to do after completing the career grand slam last year but he has clearly reset his goals with has his eyes now set on winning as many Majors as possible to create a legacy as one of the sport's greatest ever players.
It almost seems unfathomable that he won't win another Green Jacket, and I would be surprised if he didn't complete a second career slam in winning the US Open and The Open again in the next decade. That would take him to nine Majors, but I can now see him even surpassing that.
If he stays healthy, he will have something like another 50 chances to win Majors. If I had to make a prediction, I would say his total number could be in the 10-12 range. I think getting the slam out of the way and that Masters monkey off of his back could be the catalyst for a magical back nine in what is already a phenomenal career.
JL: I really think he can win at least one or two more Masters Tournaments during his career. Last week's performance was far from his best and McIlroy still emerged victorious, so I can see him edging closer to Woods and Nicklaus for overall wins at Augusta.
To be honest, part of me wonders how he ever misses out on the top-10 when the course so clearly suits his game.
Otherwise, McIlroy will probably want to wrap up the record number of Race To Dubai wins as soon as possible.
It will be tough this year with Patrick Reed still 500 points ahead and playing regularly on the DP World Tour, but I wouldn't put it past the six-time Major winner to find a way late in the year once he returns from the PGA Tour.
CAN JUSTIN ROSE BOUNCE BACK?
EH: Yes, Justin Rose can bounce back and he will. Like McIlroy, all Rose cares about these days are the four Majors. I believe he is too talented, too professional and has put in too much work to be denied.
Assuming he keeps his spirits high and continues believing in himself and grinding, I am confident he will win another Major. He is just too good.
JL: Plain and simply, I think he can and I know he will. I've already a piece outlining why last week wasn't the end of Rose's Major chances, and I fully believe every word.
Not only do I think he could still come good in the year's remaining Majors, but the Englishman's fantastic sense of perspective - not unlike his compatriot Tommy Fleetwood's - will stand him in great stead to continue competing for titles on the PGA Tour.
Don't you worry about ol' Rosie. He'll be back.
IS LIV GOLF HURTING JON RAHM?
EH: I looked clear as day to me that Jon Rahm is missing out by not playing on the PGA Tour. I wouldn't necessarily say LIV Golf is hurting his Major chances but I would say that not playing on the PGA Tour is.
If he had played Pebble Beach, Riviera, Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass this year I think he would have been faster out of the blocks. Had there been a LIV event at Augusta National last week with their usual 57-man field and music blaring, he would have challenged for the title.
He has had 29 top-10s in 30 LIV Golf starts yet he has three top-10s in his eight Majors since joining LIV. He is under pressure as he has to justify playing in the league as opposed to the Tour, and that must be getting to him.
He is not having to worry about missing cuts when he plays or competing against the likes of McIlroy, Scheffler, Schauffele, Fleetwood, Young and the rest of the PGA Tour's top stars.
I would not be surprised to see Rahm take the Koepka route back to the Tour next year to aide his Major chances, as I truly believe he is a generational talent who can win many, many Majors.
JL: For me, this is one of the great mysteries of modern golf. I just cannot understand why Jon Rahm is statistically ranked as the best golfer on the planet for 2026 and inhabits the top-10 on LIV Golf leaderboards with such unflinching regularity but isn't able to perform at Majors.
Plenty of LIV Golf's critics will say Rahm is playing on "easier" courses every week and that isn't helping. But I don't know for a fact that's true. They're still tough enough to keep him fine-tuned, surely?
Even if they're not, he's still more than good enough to be able to adjust at the four biggest championships and play better than he has been doing.
At The Masters, Rahm said it was his decision making that let him down and he would be changing his preparation for next year. What exactly that entails is anyone's guess, but Rahm needs to start performing at the Majors or the LIV Golf-shaped stick people are using to beat him with is only going to become bigger and stronger.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS?
EH: The Masters is far and away the best individual golf tournament in the sport. McIlroy, Young and Rose all surged into the lead and they all went backwards each time.
Why? Because there is absolutely nothing like Augusta National and the back nine on Sunday at The Masters. The pressure is like nothing else in the game, and it feels like a Major where only the best can truly contend in the latter stages.
While the PGA Championship is trending down as the no.4 of the four Majors, I think The Masters continues its climb as a comfortable no.1 to be regarded as the most important tournament a male professional golfer can win.
JL: My AOB relates to Max Homa. As a fellow super-fan of legendary TV show The Office, I love to see Homa playing well and it's been sad to see him struggle for form over the past couple of years.
Strangely, The Masters has been a saving grace of sorts during that time with a T3rd finish in 2024 and a T12th last year.
But with two missed cuts on the PGA Tour prior to rocking up at Augusta National and having notched just one top-20 this term (T13th), external hopes were not that high on my end.
Nevertheless, rounds of 72, 70 and 71 were preceded by a five-under 67 which left Homa T9th - a result which can hopefully kick start his season and beyond.
