Rory McIlroy Stories: The Masters Win, Historical Rank, Tiger Woods

Colin is joined by sportswriter & author Alan Shipnuck who just released his newest book "Rory" They start with Rory McIlroy's evolution and why he became a bit testier and wears his emotions on his sleeve more now that he's later in his career. They discuss how to best categorize Rory's career, and Alan explains why it's been a play with three acts, and that Rory is still in his prime with his best golf likely still ahead of him (4:00). They talk about how Rory's personal life lands someone in the middle between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and why Rory is more authentic than both of them and why Tiger & Phil would likely trade their career & life for Rory's (10:00). They discuss Rory's beef with Alan stemming from his lack of control over the narrative of the book and how they eventually resolved it (14:30). They preview Rory's chances of repeating at The Masters and what to expect with him now that the pressure of winning the tournament is off his shoulders (20:00). They revisit Rory's meteoric rise in his late teens to early twenties, his bouts with homesickness as he traveled the world and how he handled superstardom and a high-profile divorce at a young age (25:00). They also discuss why Rory became the face of the anti-LIV golf movement and why his upbringing contributed to that sense of loyalty to the PGA Tour (29:00). Finally, they break down why Rory is the most popular non-American golfer at American tournaments (32:30), what made his Masters win last year so unforgettable and whether can achieve his goal of winning 9 majors (36:00). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!

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Rory McIlroy Stories: The Masters Win, Historical Rank, Tiger Woods is an episode from The Colin Cowherd Podcast by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume.

This episode is 38:20 long.

This episode was published on Apr 8, 2026.

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