Jack Nicklaus is a huge admirer of Rory McIlroy and the feeling is very much mutual.

Nicklaus is one of the two greatest golfers ever to have graced the game, alongside Tiger Woods.

And McIlroy has always looked up to the Golden Bear’s truly remarkable record in the professional game.

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Nicklaus, now 86, won 73 PGA Tour titles throughout his career, including a record-setting 18 major championship victories.

McIlroy possesses a pretty impressive golfing résumé himself, with 30 PGA Tour wins and 21 DP World Tour victories to his name, including six majors.

Rory McIlroy has shared his desire to win Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, such is his admiration for the great man.

Nicklaus has always tried to help McIlroy whenever possible along the way, including sharing his advice with the 30-time PGA Tour winner about the best way to attack Augusta National.

That advice finally sank in for McIlroy, as he won back-to-back green jackets in 2025 and 2026 respectively. However, Nicklaus always had a nagging doubt that one thing could hold McIlroy back in his pursuit of winning The Masters.

Jack Nicklaus once shared his only criticism of Rory McIlroy

Back in 2024, Nicklaus was speaking about McIlroy’s chances of completing the career Grand Slam.

And the 18-time major champion shared one criticism of McIlroy which he believed could hold him back from achieving golfing history.

“I only have one criticism of Rory,” 18-time major winner Nicklaus said.

“You have to concentrate 100 per cent of the time. For some reason, Rory always has a little bit of a lapse somewhere around the tournament. He’ll find a double bogey or triple bogey that sneaks in there.

“I don’t know how he does it or why he does it, but it happens. And I wish that wouldn’t happen.”

McIlroy proved Nicklaus wrong in the end by winning The Masters in 2025 and then following that up with another victory at Augusta National in 2026.

However, the Northern Irishman did have some mental lapses along the way.

Rory McIlroy won his two Masters titles the hard way

In 2025, he made a disastrous seven on the par-five 15th hole and a double bogey six on the 17th during his opening round at Augusta National.

He eventually posted an opening-round 72 before firing back with consecutive rounds of 66. A final-round 73 was enough for McIlroy to get the job done, despite making a double bogey on his opening hole.

The 37-year-old became the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam by winning The Masters and then he followed that up by defending his title the following year.

That was in spite of a huge wobble during the middle part of his final round.

So, it’s fair to say that Rory McIlroy has still not managed to completely eradicate the concentration lapses from his game.

Jack Nicklaus suggested that McIlroy needed to do that in order to complete the career Grand Slam, but the Northern Irishman’s talent carried him through eventually.