Rory McIlroy heads into this week's PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club as the man everyone's chasing.
The Northern Irishman, fresh from claiming consecutive Masters titles with a one-shot triumph at Augusta last month, is hunting his seventh major crown.
Victory in south-west Philadelphia would see the 37-year-old surpass Sir Nick Faldo to become Europe's most successful golfer of the modern era.
Experts reckon he's the one to beat, with analysts placing him alongside Scottie Scheffler as the standout favourites whenever they tee it up.
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll have been together since 2014 and share a daughter, Poppy | PAIt's easy to see why – McIlroy ranks among the longest hitters in the game, his iron play is superb, and he's tightened up what was once a weakness around the greens.
A freed-up Rory, they say, is a terrifying prospect for his rivals.
But McIlroy isn't just dominating on the course – he's loving life off it too.
The two-time PGA Championship winner skipped the Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral after receiving an invitation he simply couldn't turn down.
President Donald Trump asked him to attend a White House state dinner during King Charles's visit, and McIlroy jumped at the chance.
"I know how fortunate I am and so lucky to be in this position in life and sometimes you have to enjoy the perks because I know that this isn't going to last forever," he said.
Rory McIlroy has been enjoying life away from golf after winning The Masters for the second time this year
| GETTYThere's also a cameo in the recently-released Devil Wears Prada 2 to add to his growing list of off-course adventures.
"There's going to be a day where I'm not sitting up here and I'm not competing for major championships," McIlroy added. "So I guess while I'm doing it, I have to enjoy it."
McIlroy's done his homework ahead of the tournament, making a day trip to Aronimink to scout the course.
He played the venue during the 2018 BMW Championship, but conditions have changed dramatically since then.
"It was wet in 2018 and the greens didn't play as fast or as severe as what I felt like they played last week when I played," he explained.
The course isn't particularly long, but those tricky greens are the main defence – and organisers can tuck pins away if they fancy making life difficult.
Getting an early look means McIlroy can take it easy during tournament week, avoiding those notoriously lengthy PGA practice rounds.
He's planning just nine holes on Tuesday and another nine on Wednesday, focusing on club selection off tees and reading potential pin positions.
This year feels different for McIlroy compared to last year's PGA Championship, where he finished tied fourth.
After finally completing the career Grand Slam at Augusta in 2025, he admitted struggling to find that competitive fire again.
"I came into this tournament last year a little bit sort of uncertain of what my future was – just like I conquered this thing that I wanted to conquer for so long," he reflected.
But the back-to-back Masters triumph has sparked something fresh.
Rory McIlroy joined a very exclusive club by winning consecutive Masters titles, a feat managed only by Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods | REUTERSMcIlroy's realised his career is far from over – he's still in his prime and has plenty left to achieve.
"Coming into this tournament feels a lot different than what it did last year," he said. "I feel like I've got some nice clear road ahead to try to get some more of these majors."