So the career Grand Slam is finally complete for Rory McIlroy, but two huge career goals remain. After a night of incredible tension and drama, the 35-year-old sealed his maiden green jacket in a sudden death playoff, and his emotional reaction afterwards spoke volumes.

McIlroy slumped to the ground before breaking down in tears. He’s now only one of six players in history to have won all four major titles and only the second in the modern era alongside Tiger Woods. However, the world No.2 has already made it clear that despite his Augusta success, he still has other ambitions to fulfil.

Speaking to BBC Sport in January, McIlroy insisted it wasn’t just an Augusta win on his mind, saying: “Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career."

He will have the opportunity to realise one of those goals in September. McIlroy is already cemented as a Ryder Cup icon after debuting in the team event at Celtic Manor in 2010, since playing in six further matches and racking up 14 points for Team Europe.

However, his three away ties with Europe have only yielded one win. That came at the ‘Miracle in Medinah’ in 2012, where the visitors came back from 10-6 down on the final day to score an outright 14.5-13.5 victory.

He also endured a nightmare weekend during Team USA’s last victory in Wisconsin in 2021. McIlroy was out-of-sorts as he lost all three of his pairs matches before finally notching a futile point in the Sunday singles against Xander Schauffele.

This year, Luke Donald’s team heads to Bethpage, having regained the trophy in Rome in 2023. McIlroy is again expected to spearhead their challenge, although his Olympic quest is on hold for three more years.

In Paris this summer, McIlroy could only finish tied for fifth as Scottie Scheffler took gold. He’ll now have to wait until Los Angeles in 2028 to try to secure a medal, having also missed out on the top three in Tokyo in 2021.

His statement of intent over the Summer Games appears to signify a change in his approach towards the event though. At the inaugural tournament in Rio in 2016, he controversially withdrew from the tournament, citing fears over the Zika virus.