2 weeks Ago By Tom Sunderland
The world of sport is still in awe after Rory McIlroy's all-eclipsing win at the 2025 Masters – but golf waits for no-one. The PGA Tour calendar quickly turns to the RBC Heritage in South Carolina this weekend, even if many remain fixated on Sunday's climactic finale at Augusta. The manner in which McIlroy secured his first green jacket and finally completed the career Grand Slam will serve as inspiration to many.
However, RBC Heritage defending champion Scottie Scheffler doesn't appear to be among them. Even the PGA Tour itself stands to make massive gains on the back of McIlroy's first major win in more than a decade. However, others have had no problem getting back to the grind as Mirror US Sport delves into all of that and more in the latest golf headlines.
Ahead of his title defense at Harbour Town this weekend, two-time Masters champion Scheffler was unsurprisingly asked how McIlroy's triumph would affect him. But despite being seven years McIlroy's junior, the world No. 1 appeared to distance himself from the notion that his peer's ground-breaking victory would offer him any motivation.
Asked whether he took inspiration from witnessing McIlroy's magic finish in Georgia, Scheffler told one reporter: "The feeling you get from winning a tournament is a pretty special feeling. For me, I wished it lasts longer than it [does]. It doesn't really last very long.
Watching anybody accomplish anything in golf – it takes a lot of work. "I don't really think very often about career goals, or anything like that. I try to do my best to stay in the present.
Was it pretty awesome watching Rory win the Grand Slam? Yeah, of course it was. But as far as my life goes, I try to stay in the present. And so right now, I'm focused on this week, and then when I get home next week, I'm gonna be preparing for my next tournament.
" Scheffler, 28, went on to say his motivation is "all internal", suggesting it's nothing personal against McIlroy serving as a stander-bearer. And given the success he has enjoyed on the Tour over the last three years or so, one can hardly blame him. There's nothing like your biggest ambassador winning arguably the biggest individual prize on offer in one's field.
So it should perhaps come as no surprise the PGA Tour is looking to leverage McIlroy's Masters triumph to make gains off the course. Negotiations are open for the PGA Tour's UK television rights, but City AM reported Sky Sports may now have to pay an inflated figure in light of Rory's career highlight. That's after a peak audience of 1.
85 million tuned in to watch the Northern Irishman edge out Justin Rose in a play-off, which accounted for 37% of total TV viewership in the nation. That's in addition to the record 7.5m people who watched Sky Sports throughout Sunday's coverage, with the under-35 audience particularly engaged.
All that adds up to credit in the bank for the PGA Tour, who will proudly flaunt those figures in an attempt to land a princely new sum for their broadcast rights. As things stand, the current deal gives Sky Sports at least 36 PGA Tour events each year. This includes the the Ryder Cup, DP World Tour, and both men’s and women’s majors.
As one of the more socially engaged golfers on the PGA Tour, Michael Kim makes a genuine effort to bridge the gap between fans and the stars who make the sport. The Seoul-born, San Diego-raised contender is busy on the podcast circuit and tries his best to keep supporters entertained both on and off the course. So it was heart-warming to see the 31-year-old remorseful that he wasn't able to give away any tickets to Augusta National.
Though he did his utmost to correct course after tying for 27th on Sunday having made the cut in Georgia for the first time in his career. "I’m sorry I couldn’t give away Masters tix (friends and family gets priority)," wrote Kim on X before attempting to make up for the miss with another offer to his followers. "But I’ll give them away for the RBC Heritage! If you live in the area and bring kids, I’ll send you some tickets! Comment below.
" Kim went on to explain there's risk that comes with giving tickets away, as it will blow back on him should they do anything untoward. It's the thought that counts, Michael. The evolution of sport can often make it feel as though the gulf between athletes and fans has never been bigger.
Sports stars are earning more than ever before and can often get carried away by their status, which can leave many followers feeling distant, knowing they too play a key role in the economy. Enter Ludvig Aberg, one of the fastest-rising talents on the PGA Tour – and seemingly an all-round nice guy. The Swede maintained his record of finishing top 10 in every Masters he's contested after claiming seventh on Sunday, but he still had all the time for those on the sidelines as he got back to work in South Carolina.
"Ludvig Aberg takes a photo or signs an autograph for every fan he sees," read one post uploaded by fan account PGA Dice, showing images and videos of Aberg stopping for photos with numerous fans. "This is Aberg inbetween hole 10 and 11 during his practice round at The RBC Heritage. He stopped for every single person before moving on to [the 11th] tee.
My sister and girlfriend are now in love with the king lol." They aren't the only ones. And after blazing a trail to earn his place on the triumphant 2023 Ryder Cup team, the loveable Aberg is making all the right moves to keep his place at this year's team competition.
CBS broadcaster Amanda Balionis once again had boots on the ground at Augusta this week as she followed the Masters drama throughout. And she was one of the first to conduct a sit-down interview with McIlroy following arguably the biggest win of his career. It's almost a year since Balionis was implicated in the short-lived divorce proceedings McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, opened before reconciling.
Although unconfirmed to this day, reports suggested she and the five-time major champion were romantically involved in the not-too-distant past. But fans noticed her coveted interview with McIlroy didn't feature in Balionis' social media round-up of a whirlwind week at Augusta. In fact, there wasn't a single snap of Rory to be seen among the 14-photo selection, which largely focused on Balionis' week behind the scenes with her friends and colleagues.
The caption on her post read: "2025 has been all about gratitude and last week was no exception. So grateful for these experiences, the people I get to learn from and work with and for those who somehow make the best job in the world even better. Until next year Augusta!".
