Following his triumph at the Masters, Rory McIlroy gathered a collection of keepsakes from Augusta National. At the conclusion of the competition, the Masters Shop still had 1,100 pin flags available, and McIlroy mentioned that he acquired each and every one of them, planning to autograph them within the emblem — a custom exclusive to Masters victors.
McIlroy achieved his career grand slam by securing an elusive Masters title in April, where he outperformed Justin Rose on the initial playoff hole to claim the coveted green jacket.
“It’s been significant,” McIlroy shared before the Tour Championship, referring to the task of signing numerous flags. “However, I’ll never tire of signing them. I’ve been awaiting 17 years to put my signature on that flag in the center, and I’ll never voice any concerns about doing it.”
The duration McIlroy dedicates to signing the 1,100 flags he took from Augusta National might even be comparable to the amount of time he spends donning his green jacket, although that hasn’t been the situation up to now.
Rory McIlroy provides insights on the updated PGA Tour schedule for 2026, along with reasons for his recent absences from major tournaments.
Patrick McDonald
“I’m hesitant to put it on,” McIlroy confessed. “It’s not like I wear it frequently. I keep it in my closet where I can see it on a daily basis. I always envisioned that if I possessed one — if I did happen to win the Masters one day — I’d never take it off, but that hasn’t been the case. I haven’t worn it nearly as much as I had anticipated.”
In the months following the apex of McIlroy’s career, he has encountered difficulties in replicating the achievement he attained on the sacred golf courses in Georgia. His most notable showing occurred last month at the Scottish Open, where he finished in a tie for second place. The low points were notably significant, as he failed to make the cut at the Canadian Open in June and secured a tie for 47th position at the PGA Championship in May.
In spite of the inconsistent performances in recent months, McIlroy (17/2) is entering this week’s Tour Championship as one of the two apparent frontrunners alongside Scottie Scheffler (3/2). The pair is set to commence play together at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday in the inaugural round’s featured pairing.
