Denny Hamlin reacts to comparisons with Rory McIlroy over similar 'burden'

Denny Hamlin knows exactly how Rory McIlroy must have felt for the last 10 years. McIlroy went a decade between major wins, finally snapping the streak with his first career Masters victory on Sunday, becoming the sixth golfer to complete golf‘s Grand Slam.

Things may be a bit different in NASCAR but like McIlroy prior to Sunday, Hamlin is chasing one final piece to immortality: a Cup Series Championship. Hamlin’s two-decade career has seen him come close, but he’s never been quite able to get it done. Now 44, that monkey is still on his back. But it’s off McIlroy, and that has to be a great feeling, Hamlin said on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast.

“Certainly, you got to think for Rory there’s a huge sense of accomplishment there because he controlled his destiny, and he closed it out,” Hamlin said. “It was looking like he wasn’t going to close it out but man, it’s got to be huge weight [lifted off his shoulders] because it’s all people identified him with. Not all of his other accomplishments, but you’re one short of this.

“Forget how many PGA Tour wins he has… they weren’t identifying him by his accomplishments. They were identifying him by his failures. For him, it’s got to be a great feeling to get that weight off of him and now, who knows. I think he’ll be one of the favorites to win The Masters for the next five, 10 years.”

Denny Hamlin still chasing NASCAR Cup Series Championship

With 56 Cup wins, Hamlin is up 11th on the all-time wins list, four away from matching Kevin Harvick for 10th. Daytona 500? Check. Coca-Cola 600? Check. Southern 500? Check. There’s nothing else for Hamlin to accomplish except for lifting the Championship trophy above his head at Phoenix Raceway.

Hamlin has been close many times, notably finishing runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in 2010. It just hasn’t been Hamlin’s time… yet.

“It’s difficult to win big events,” Hamlin said. “And the Championship is essentially a big event that you got to get invited to through performance. … But there’s all kinds of variables. The difference in golf is that you’re in control of your destiny. In racing, a lot of things are out of your control. All you can do is feel like you did the best job that you could on that day to get the best result. Other than like 2010 in my battle with Jimmie, all the rest of the times that I’ve had a chance to win the Championship, there was not anything I could have done different. The cars just didn’t align on that particular day.”