When Rory McIlroy finished in near darkness at the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, he joined a very elite company. Just two golfers—Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods—had won four major championships by age 25. The future looked limitless.
In 2024, he notched two PGA Tour wins—one at the Wells Fargo and the other in tandem with longtime rival Shane Lowry. Those victories now have him at 26 PGA Tour wins, tied for 22nd on the all-time list.
The Northern Irishman also won twice on the DP World Tour—the most recent coming last week at the DP World Tour Championship. That win provided the 35-year-old with his sixth Race to Dubai title, tying him with Seve Ballesteros and now just two behind record holder Colin Montgomerie.
McIlroy’s win was his seventh in the UAE desert, including bookend wins in 2024.
It’s important to keep in mind the third-ranked player in the world has finished in the top 10 in all four majors a total of 21 times in his career. No player has been that consistent over that period of time.
But there’s a glaring missing element—a fifth major. The major-less streak now stretches over 10 years. During that time there’s been an assortment of head-scratching situations featuring a variety of heart-breaking meltdowns.
Since winning his last major, McIlroy has had four runner-up finishes in those crucial events. None was more painful than his late-round blow-up at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst this past June.
McIlroy appeared set to secure his second win in the event—leading by two shots with four to play. Following a bogey at the 15th, he then inexplicably hiccupped with a missed putt from less than three feet at the 16th.
Nonetheless, he had an edge going into the final hole until missing another short putt—this time from four feet. Even with McIlroy’s self-implosion it still took a miraculous 50-yard bunker shot from Bryson DeChambeau that secured a par-4 at the final hole and a one-shot win.
The feeling of emptiness caused McIlroy to abruptly leave Pinehurst. Clearly exasperated, he had let slip from his grasp a title that looked to be totally his.
McIlroy took responsibility the next day for his post-round Pinehurst actions, but the inability to close out strongly at major events has become more and more of a hurdle he has failed to clear.
In 2023, he was unable to finish strong at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, taking second to winner Wyndham Clark.
In 2022, McIlroy shared the final round lead at the Open Championship with Viktor Hovland, both four shots ahead of the closest pursuers. McIlroy shot 70 but was passed by hard-closing Cameron Smith, who scored a 64 and claimed the Claret Jug. In the final eight holes, McIlroy was unable make a single birdie and finished third.
The 2024 Irish Open was another close one. Down the stretch of the closing holes, McIlroy had a two-stroke edge but faced a birdie barrage at the end by winner Rasmus Hojgaard. McIlroy also came up short in the BMW PGA Championship, losing in a three-way playoff to Billy Horschel, who eagled the second playoff hole for the title.
McIlroy’s ability to nearly always be in the fray is remarkable. But returning to the top of golf’s pyramid will be anything but automatic.
Scottie Scheffler had a sensational 2024 in bolstering his position as the world’s No. 1 player. The 28-year-old cemented his dominance with seven wins—including a second Masters, a defense of his Players title, and an Olympic gold in which he scored a final round 62 to win that event.
Then there is Xander Schauffele—ranked No. 2 globally. Coming into 2024, the much-talented Californian had been a consistent force but had never won a major title. Now the 31-year-old has the Wannamaker Trophy and the Claret Jug in claiming the PGA and Open Championship respectively.
McIlroy reflected after his Dubai win on what the present season has meant to him.
“I’m going to look back on 2024 and I’m going to have four wins, three individual ones—two in Dubai, Quail Hollow and the win with Shane [Lowry] at the Zurich Classic,” McIlroy said. “But I know that my 2024 is going to be defined, at least by others, by the tournaments that I didn’t win as much as the tournaments that I did. … I think I would have been miserable for a few weeks if I had not won today (DP World Tour Championship). It would have just added to the list of ones that I felt I let get away, and for one to not get away and to get over the line and be the final event of the year, it feels nice.”
Going more than 10 years without a major championship underlines how demanding it is to win one.
Arnold Palmer was 34 when winning his fourth Masters in 1964. It appeared The King would add more to his total of seven major titles. None happened.
The same for a 32-year-old named Seve Ballesteros. The talented Spaniard won his fifth major and third Claret Jug at the 1988 Open Championship. It appeared a slew of additional majors was only a matter of time. Like Arnie, Seve said adios to the winner’s podium in a major event.
Consider McIlroy possesses the best driving skills of any elite player. Although his putting prowess has noticeably improved, there are clear concerns about how he fares over critical late rounds when all is on the line.
Even if he never hits another golf shot, McIlroy is an automatic selection to the sport’s Hall of Fame. The much deeper issue is cementing a legacy—one beyond just the elite players of today and measured against the sport’s premier all-time players.
McIlroy’s story when turning pro started with a tour de force—the first four majors came so quickly and the general belief saw him as possibly a new version of Tiger Woods.
His ascension to prominence can be resurrected with a win in April at The Masters. Donning the green jacket would elevate him to the most coveted grouping of players—those achieving a career grand slam. Only five have ever done that. Should McIlroy become the latest member, all of the past fumbles and stumbles will likely be forgotten.
Augusta has been a perplexing place for McIlroy. In 2011, he entered the final round with a four-stroke lead but then imploded on the back, finishing with a score of 80 and T15 finish. In his last two times in the event, he missed the cut and finished T22. Hardly inspiring results.
Yet next year bodes well for McIlroy because the second major—the PGA Championship—will be at one of his favorite venues, Quail Hollow in North Carolina. McIlroy has won the annual Wells Fargo event four times, including this year.
The U.S. Open will be at Oakmont, and it favors superior ball-striking with a roster of past champions among the game’s best.
The final major for 2025 will be a return for the second time to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for The Open Championship. McIlroy was the favorite going into the 2019 event but opened play with a quadruple bogey eight on the first hole and an eventual score of 79. He bounced back on the second day with 65 but still missed the cut.
McIlroy said his schedule in 2025 will be trimmed. He realizes time continues to move forward and wants to prepare himself to play at the highest of levels for the next decade. Credit him for realizing the urgency he now faces.
During his career, McIlroy has not been hesitant to weigh in on the key issues impacting professional golf—particularly the LIV Golf/PGA Tour situation. For a time, he was a member of the PGA Tour’s advisory group before resigning. McIlroy smartly realized he needs to use his time keeping his golf game as sharp as possible.
While his strongest advocates believe he will win more majors once the fifth happens, there are others who believe past scar tissue might just keep him at the four total he has now. Hard to believe if he remains forever at four majors and is then labeled an underachiever.
The pages from 2024 are complete. McIlroy’s clear mission is permanent legacy among the game’s greatest players.
Those specific chapters for Rory’s story remain a work in progress.
2025 becomes crucial. The time is now.
