Rory McIlroy Close Up

McIlroy’s Major Mistakes: Another Near Miss for Rory

On the 16th of June 2024, Rory McIlroy won just over $2.3m with a golfing performance that moved him up the world rankings to number two. It was also one of the worst days of his life. The Northern Irish ace, who alone with the game’s two GOATs, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, won four of the game’s majors by the age of 25, finished second at the US Open.

He had the major tournament at his mercy, leading by two shots with five holes to play and having produced imperious golf to overturn the three-shot deficit he began the round with. However, three bogeys followed, with one missed putt from less than three feet (stats showed that he had made 496 putts in a row from that distance during the season) and another, on the 18th, from around four feet, costing him dearly.

McIlroy’s long wait for a fifth major goes on, with his last win in one of the sport’s biggest events coming way back in August 2014. He had the world at his feet then, and many expected him to complete the career Grand Slam the following season at the US Masters, or certainly to do so within a year or two. However, his haul of four majors in four seasons has (somehow, inexplicably) turned into none in almost a decade.

The man from Holywood has written a sporting script more befitting of Hollywood and the Ryder Cup hero’s many fans will be hoping and even praying that the plot becomes one of redemption, a film with a happy end. McIlroy is still just 35 and has many years left at the top of the game, but can he make it to five majors and then push on from there?

Time will tell, but for now, we take a painful look back at Rory’s other near misses in the big four.

Rory’s Top 10s Since Last Major Win

Before we look at the really painful, narrow misses, let’s take a broader look at the times that the Northern Irishman has made the top 10 in a major since his last victory. In all, Rory has 31 top 10s in the US Masters (seven), the US PGA Championship (eight), the US Open (nine) and the Open Championship (eight). At the time of writing, after the 2024 US Open and before the final major of the season, the Open, that means he has made the top 10 in exactly half of the 62 majors he has played in.

That shows just how good he is and how consistent he has been. 18 of those 31 have been top fives, whilst that mark of 31 puts him up there with some of the greats of the game. Lee Trevino managed 31 in his career, with Gary Player boasting 30 top 10s, whilst Tiger Woods’ tally of 41 could well be within reach for Rory.

Since he won the 2014 US PGA Championship he has finished inside the top 10 a massive 21 times. In contrast, his four wins were garnered as part of 10 finishes inside the top 10. McIlroy has frequently given himself chances to add to his four major championships but just hasn’t, yet, managed to get over the line again. That said, finishing 10th does not necessarily mean a player had a chance. But there are certainly times since 2014 when the current world number two will feel he could, and even should, have won another of the sport’s most prestigious events.

2018 – Two Chances Spurned

Back in 2018 Rory could well have completed the career Grand Slam by landing the Masters. A brilliant 65 on Saturday moved him second but he disappointed on Sunday. On a day when scoring was low (the average of 70.49 is thought to be the best at the Masters on any single day, ever), he could only shoot 74, dropping to fifth. Only four players made a score of 75 or more.

At that year’s Open he would finish tied for second but again, a better finish would have secured the title. He shot on Sunday but things were looking good after he made an eagle on 14 to move into a tie for the lead. However, four pars followed and he was forced to accept being joint runner-up.

Close Again at 2021 US Open

The US Open is probably Rory’s strongest major and he has finished inside the top nine in his last six appearances. His sole second place this year made him the first player ever to finish alone in second place two years running. Back in 2021, he ended up tied-seventh but after a 67 in the third round he entered the final day with a great chance.

Indeed, when he birdied the fourth, he was just a shot back. But the back nine quickly ended his hopes, a bogey on 11 and double on 12 seeing him drop right back. Eventual winner Jon Rahm began the final day a shot behind Rory.

2023 US Open Again Sees Rory in Hunt on Sunday

In a US Open that witnessed incredibly low scoring, Rory’s opening 65 saw him three shots adrift of not one, but two players! A 67 followed to leave him two shots off the lead, and when he made a 69 on Saturday that gap, to major virgins Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark, closed to one.

On the Sunday Fowler started terribly and made the championship a shootout between McIlroy and Clark. Surely this would be the time? He began with a birdie to move level at the top and after 13 holes he looked in with a real chance. However, at the 14th he missed the green with a wedge and made a bogey. Clark made a birdie and all of a sudden had a three-shot lead.

That advantage seemed to rattle him though and consecutive bogeys followed, meaning Rory was a shot behind with two holes to play against a nervy opponent. However, both men parred the final two, giving Clark his first major by a single stroke.

And all the Rest

As detailed, Rory was seventh in the US Open in 2021, but the nature of that tournament meant he was much closer to winning than some other majors when he finished higher. For example, he was second by himself at the 2022 US Masters, but ended three shots back, coming out of nowhere with a 64 on the final day but never really being in the hunt.

All too often that has been the issue for the unfortunate superstar over a decade of major underachievement. Low scores have come only when it was too late, whilst when it has mattered most, he has fallen just short. We would love to believe that he can win another major, and hopefully the Masters to complete the set… but we won’t be betting on it just yet!