Grand Slam Rory

"Dreams do come true"
— Rory McIlroy's first post after his most monumental victory.

A verdant Sunday signalling Spring. In my youth I loved watching the final back nine from Augusta.

The allure of a jacket. A green one, at that.

There was the succession of winners breaking the American home stranglehold. Before The Tiger Show. And yet more USA dominance.

I've seen plenty to remember.

Larry Mize chipping in to slay Greg Norman.
The Sergio Garcia/Justin Rose play-off.
Saffer Schwartel somehow coming from nowhere to birdie the last four holes.

Plenty more on top.

But it all pales now.

Now, we've Rory McIlroy...

To think though, I was also shouting for 'Rosie'. And why not?

Would've also been a helluva tale.

Yet the prize chose the proud Ulsterman.

Even if you have slim to zero interest in the pursuit, the outcome could not have passed you by.

'Momentous', the vanquished golfer instantly labelled it.

Only the sixth man to snare each of their game's four majors.

Quite the feat. There's been such illustrious quartet since 1934.

I read that a total of 233 individual players have won one all-time.

Many would pre-date the era of four.

Fifteen events were cancelled due to events beyond the fairways.

Meaning that 2025's first was the 350th major played since three became four.

I see that three of the four at some stage have been claimed by a further twelve.

No wonder Rory is now said to be immortal in the sport. Truly joining the pantheon of greats.

It took him eleven years between his previous and present.

Demons, pressure, expectation, choking, focus.

"The player whose golf psyche is as complex as human nature itself" - David Walsh, Chief Sports Writer, The Sunday Times.

It's been quite the ride for the engaged fan.

Yet there are facets emerging as the dust blows through giving insight into that mentality winners, whether athletic or selling, ought possess.

Here's but a small trio by selection.

Resilience, he says, is his hallmark; “I’m very proud of myself, I’m proud of never giving up, I’m proud of how I kept coming back and dusting myself off.”
If you aren’t prepared to have your heart broken, then you aren’t giving yourself a chance to win.
“I was unbelievably nervous this [the final] morning. My battle today was with myself, with my mind. It was a struggle, but I got it over the line.”

Resilience. Courage. Focus.

And this fourth I particularly noted. Given the feeling - backed up by studies of salespeople and forming the famed Martin Slegiman suggestion - that the single largest determinant of sales success was the extent to which they share with Rory this;

"Talking about [being] that eternal optimist again".

Does your selling show these to such elite level?