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Rory McIlroy majors timeline: Breaking down last major wins and complete history of finishes

Rory McIlroy has been one of the best golfers in the world over the last decade-plus. The 34-year-old superstar has routinely ranked in the top 10 worldwide and spent a fair bit of time in the No. 1 overall spot.

The Northern Irishman also had a lot of success at major tournaments in the early stages of his career. But for 11 years, he experienced a dry spell. McIlroy went more than a decade between wins before finally beating his demons at the 2025 Masters, when he lost a late lead but prevailed in a playoff with Justin Rose.

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With the career grand slam in tow, McIlroy is hoping the next phase of his career includes more moments of glory like the one he had at Augusta National. 

Here’s a complete look at McIlroy’s track record in majors and how many he has won.

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Has Rory McIlroy won a major?

McIlroy is a five-time major champion, having won each event at least once:

Year Event Score Course
2011 U.S. Open -16 Congressional CC (MD)
2012 PGA Championship -13 Kiawah Island (SC)
2014 Open Championship -17 Royal Liverpool
2014 PGA Championship -16 Valhalla (KY)
2025 Masters -11 Augusta National (GA)

A sensation early in his career, McIlroy won the U.S. Open at just 22 years old in 2011 and followed it up with wins at the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 plus a victory at The Open in 2014.

McIlroy remained a terrific golfer for much of the decade that followed, but he couldn’t close the deal at any major and didn’t achieve the career grand slam until he finally won the Masters in a playoff in 2025. 

Rory McIlroy Masters history

Year Finish
2010 Cut
2011 T-15
2012 T-40
2013 T-25
2014 T-8
2015 4th
2016 T-10
2017 T-7
2018 T-5
2019 T-21
2020 T-5
2021 Cut
2022 2nd
2023 Cut
2024 T-22
2025 1st

MORE: How Rory McIlroy won the Masters in 2025

Rory McIlroy wins the Masters

11 years after his last major win, McIlroy finally overcame his demons at the Masters in 2025. At two different points, the dream appeared to be slipping away for McIlroy. He entered the final round with a lead over Bryson DeChambeau but saw it disappear within the first two holes, and another lead that stretched as large as four strokes was erased by a combination of a double-bogey and a surge by Rose. 

After McIlroy missed a putt to win on No. 18, he managed to collect himself and prevail over Rose to finally complete the career grand slam.

Ken Griffey Jr./Getty Images

Rory McIlroy PGA Championship history

Year Finish Course
2009 T-3 Hazeltine (MN)
2010 T-3 Whistling Straits (WI)
2011 T-64 Atlanta Athletic Club (GA)
2012 1st Kiawah Island (SC)
2013 T-8 Oak Hill (NY)
2014 1st Valhalla (KY)
2015 17th Whistling Straits (WI)
2016 CUT Baltusrol (NJ)
2017 T-22 Quail Hollow (NC)
2018 T-50 Bellerive (MO)
2019 T-8 Bethpage State Park (NY)
2020 T-33 TPC Harding Park (CA)
2021 T-49 Kiawah Island (SC)
2022 8th Southern Hills (OK)
2023 T-7 Oak Hill (NY)
2024 T-12 Valhalla (KY)

Rory McIlroy wins 2012 PGA Championship

McIlroy won his second major at the 2012 PGA Championship, when he rolled to victory by a margin of eight strokes and finished 13-under par at Kiawah Island.

McIlroy’s only blemish was the second round, which saw high scores across the board due to poor weather conditions. He settled back in and posted a 67 in the third round despite more tough conditions, and a 66 in the final round was enough for the 23-year-old to move halfway to the career grand slam.

MORE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP:  

Rory McIlroy wins 2014 PGA Championship

McIlroy picked up his fourth major win at the 2014 PGA Championship, but it was a more stressful finish than his first win in the event.

Despite leading after the second and third rounds, McIlroy had to fend off a challenge from a surging Phil Mickelson in the final round, with Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson also making moves to contend. McIlroy fell out of the lead and trailed by as much as three shots, but birdied No. 17 after Mickelson bogeyed No. 16 and won with a par putt at No. 18. 

Rory McIlroy U.S. Open History

Year Finish Course
2009 T-10 Bethpage Black (NY)
2010 CUT Pebble Beach (CA)
2011 1st Congressional CC (MD)
2012 CUT Olympic Club (CA)
2013 T-41 Merion (PA)
2014 T-23 Pinehurst (NC)
2015 T-9 Chambers Bay (WA)
2016 CUT Oakmont (PA)
2017 CUT Erin Hills (WI)
2018 CUT Shinnecock Hills (NY)
2019 T-9 Pebble Beach (CA)
2020 T-8 Winged Foot (NY)
2021 T-7 Torrey Pines (CA)
2022 T-5 The Country Club (MA)
2023 2nd L.A. Country Club (CA)
2024 2nd Pinehurst (NC)

McIlroy has been remarkably consistent at the U.S. Open since 2019, though he hasn’t won the event since 2011. While it’s been some time since he last won, McIlroy rattled of top-10 finishes in six consecutive appearances from 2019 through 2024, finishing as the runner-up in 2023 and 2024.

That also means the U.S. Open has been the source of heartbreak for McIlroy. He was in position to potentially win in 2024 but missed late putts to cede the title to Bryson DeChambeau, a moment he admitted was the most difficult of his career.

Rory McIlroy wins U.S. Open

Anyone looking for drama at the 2011 U.S. Open didn’t find it. Despite being just 22 years old and without a major win, McIlroy led wire-to-wire, finishing each day ahead by at least three strokes

The young McIlroy entered the final round ahead by eight strokes and finished it that way, wrapping up his tournament at a U.S. Open record 16-under par. Jason Day (-8) finished second but was nowhere near McIlroy on the leaderboard. The victory set the stage for a stretch of dominance from McIlroy, who won three more majors in the three years that followed.

Rory McIlroy Open Championship history

Year Finish Course
2007 T-42 Carnoustie
2009 T-47 Turnberry
2010 T-3 St Andrews
2011 T-25 Royal St George’s
2012 T-60 Royal Lytham & St Annes
2013 CUT Muirfield
2014 1st Royal Liverpool
2016 T-5 Royal Troon
2017 T-4 Royal Birkdale
2018 T-2 Carnoustie
2019 CUT Royal Portrush
2021 T-46 Royal St George’s
2022 T3rd St Andrews
2023 T-6 Royal Liverpool
2024 CUT Royal Troon

Rory McIlroy wins Open Championship

McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, won the Open Championship in England at Royal Liverpool 2014.

The victory was McIlroy’s third major championship and first of two in 2014. He slipped a bit in the final round after leading by six entering the final day of play, shooting a 71 while Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia tried to surge into contention. The door was open for Garcia to potentially pull even over the final six holes, but he wasn’t able to do so, and McIlroy held on for the victory at 17-under par.

Complete list of Rory McIlroy major results

Year Masters PGA Championship U.S. Open Open Championship
2007       T-42
2008        
2009   T-3 T-10 T-47
2010 CUT T-3 CUT T-3
2011 T-15 T-64 1st T-25
2012 T-40 1st CUT T-60
2013 T-25 T-8 T-41 CUT
2014 T-8 1st T-23 1st
2015 4th 17th T-9  
2016 T-10 CUT CUT T-5
2017 T-7 T-22 CUT T-4
2018 T-5 T-50 CUT T-2
2019 T-21 T-8 T-9 CUT
2020 T-5 T-33 T-8  
2021 CUT T-49 T-7 T-46
2022 2nd 8th T-5 T3rd
2023 CUT T-7 2nd T-6
2024 T-22 T-12 2nd CUT
2025 1st      

McIlroy is a five-time major champion and has 34 top-10 finishes in majors in his career.

The nearly 11-year period between McIlroy’s 2014 PGA Championship win and 2025 Masters win was undoubtedly agonizing for McIlroy, as he picked u numerous top-10 and even top-five finishes along the way without getting back to the top, but all of that weight came off his shoulders at Augusta National when he survived a late collapse and captured the career grand slam.

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