Tom Brady was touched by Rory McIlroy's recent career Grand Slam achievement after their time on the course together. The NFL icon sang the praises of his golf legend pal during his surprise appearance on Patrick Kielty's Late Late Show on Friday, tipping his hat following the incredible win at the Masters last month. He said: "It was incredible to watch. "I have been at that course (Augusta National) with Rory playing. Shane [Lowry] and his dad, Rory and his dad, me and my dad. One of the great highlights of my life is being on a golf course with them. Rory kicks my butt every time we play, obviously. "Seeing him achieve that after all he's gone through in golf and overcoming them struggles... I'm sure he appreciated that win more than any other win in his life because of how hard it was, not because of how easy it was. "He could have won it 14 years ago and it would have been great then, but I think you cherish it more now because you have that perspective of what it's like when you don't win or when you come close and that get it. "For all of us, the worst things that happen in life end up being the best things if you take the right attitude. I've had a lot of failures in my life, and when you overcome them, you look back and say, 'I'm so happy I went through that because without failing, I wouldn't appreciate the winning as much.'" Last month, McIlroy ended an 11-year wait for another major title by triumphing over Justin Rose in an intense playoff on Augusta's 18th to earn his inaugural Green Jacket. This victory added to his impressive collection of a US Open, two PGA Championship and an Open Championship triumphs. After breaking a prolonged slump of 11 years since his 2014 PGA Championship win with the victory at Augusta, McIlroy achieved the remarkable feat of completing golf’s career Grand Slam - an accomplishment shared only with greats like Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. And Brady wasn’t the only high-profile figure applauding McIlroy, with Elton John also among those who congratulated him. Sharing his post-victory experiences with Jimmy Fallon, McIlroy said: "I was sort of overwhelmed with the people who reached out from all different walks of life, you know, culture and entertainment. "But, the one that got me was Sir Elton John. That was like incredible. So, I actually haven't been able to contact him so his assistant left me a voicemail and said, 'Sir Elton would love to congratulate you in person. The only problem is he doesn't have a cell phone, so you might get a phone call from a number in Windsor, England from a landline.' "I'm like 'Sure!', but we haven't been able to connect so I'd love to reach out. I didn't even know if Elton John knew what golf was." Both icons in their own right - with Brady clinching seven Super Bowls over the course of his career - the bond between the NFL GOAT and the golfing superstar is well-established. The pair were spotted enjoying a leisurely round at Augusta 10 years ago, joined by Masters marker Jeff Knox and McIlroy's dad, Gerry. Sharing the moment on Facebook, McIlroy wrote: "Great to meet Tom Brady last night. Looking forward to our game at Augusta. #4SuperBowls #4Majors."