McIlroy could win 'five or six more majors' - McDowell

Graeme McDowell says "it could beryllium unthinkable what Rory McIlroy will execute successful nan sport" pursuing his dramatic profession Grand Slam-clinching Masters triumph.

McDowell, nan 2010 US Open champion, said he was among nan millions of TV viewers who "lived each changeable pinch him" during Sunday's rollercoaster of a last information astatine Augusta arsenic he besides ended an 11-year awesome drought.

"He's now a fable of nan game. To triumph nan Grand Slam is thing a batch of players don't moreover travel adjacent to touching," said McDowell arsenic he recalled his first-ever information astatine St Andrews pinch a past 18-year-old McIlroy connected nan eve of nan Dunhill Links Championship successful 2007.

At nan property of 35, McIlroy has achieved nan career Grand Slam extremity he said of arsenic an eight-year-old successful a 1998 BBC TV interview.

And nan "floodgates could now open" for him, McDowell said.

"I still look astatine him arsenic a kid that looks for illustration he's sewage 10 aliases 15 years of profession up of him," added McDowell, who played alongside McIlroy successful nan victorious European Ryder Cup teams successful 2010, 2012 and 2014.

"As successful immoderate sport, aliases successful immoderate facet of life, erstwhile you've perfectly climbed to nan apical highest of what you want to execute successful your life, wherever do you spell from there?

"Some group tin beryllium conscionable for illustration 'that's it' and possibly not do a batch much successful their career. Others group tin footwear connected and nan world is their oyster and he could spell connected to triumph four, five, six much fields from here."

McDowell added that he wasn't remotely amazed by McIlroy's hugely affectional consequence to his play-off triumph complete Justin Rose arsenic he sank to his knees and cried tears of joyousness aft holing nan winning putt.

"It was a microcosm of everything he's gone done astatine Augusta complete nan years," he said. "I retrieve successful 2011 erstwhile he had that four-shot lead going into nan past round.

"Just to spot nan outpouring of emotion from him aft he hit Justin Rose successful nan play-off. Everything he has gone done complete nan past 14 aliases 15 years conscionable came pouring retired of him."

The erstwhile US Open champion, who now plays connected nan LIV tour, recalled his 2007 St Andrews brushwood pinch nan teenage McIlroy, preparing to tee up successful what was only his 2nd master tourney aft joining nan paid ranks a period earlier.

"We played astatine a believe information astatine St Andrews. I changeable a 68 and mislaid nan money and it was like: 'Who is this kid conscionable retired of school?' From a very early age, we knew he was special."

Three years later, McDowell felt nan request to return McIlroy nether his helping during his Ryder Cup debut astatine Celtic Manor. The young golfer had attracted disapproval for comments astir nan event.

"He was taking a batch of power for his 'the Ryder Cup is conscionable an exhibition' remark but we instinctively knew we had to protect him because he was nan typical one," McDowell said.

"We had to look aft him and it was a batch of nosy to beryllium by his broadside astatine a mates of Ryder Cups and watch him blossom into nan subordinate he is today."

Padraig Harrington's Open triumph astatine Carnoustie successful 2007 began a singular era of awesome title occurrence for Ireland but McDowell acknowledges that McIlroy's achievements put him connected different level.

"Myself and Darren [Clarke] and Padraig [Harrington] and Shane [Lowry], we each consciousness very proud of what we've accomplished and what we've done for Ireland successful golfing position but Rory is successful a different stratosphere pinch what he has accomplished successful nan crippled and what he continues to accomplish."

McDowell added that McIlroy's Augusta triumph only increases nan "spectacle" which this year's Open Championship astatine Royal Portrush was already going to beryllium fixed nan beingness of nan location hero.

"We're each looking astatine Portrush. The Open successful July. For him to spell there. What would that not beryllium like? This will surely assistance a immense weight disconnected his shoulders and he tin now beryllium backmost to being loose and free, and nan bouncy Rory McIlroy that we each cognize and love.

"I don't deliberation proud moreover covers it, it is unfathomable what he has accomplished and he is connected nan wall of nan top ever which Northern Ireland person produced. The Open astatine Portrush will beryllium typical and a ceremony of what he has achieved."