Rory McIlroy’s major wins: Every victory at The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open so far | Golf News

Record-breaking victories, a career Grand Slam and going back-to-back at The Masters… we look back at all of Rory McIlroy’s six major titles so far…

2011 US Open

McIlroy had a lot of eyes on him when in contention at Congressional Country Club in 2011, having famously suffered a final-round collapse when taking a four-shot lead into the final round of The Masters earlier that year.

But any possibility of a repeat performance was quashed by McIlroy’s dominant display, where he took control of the tournament by firing rounds of 65 and 66 to open the largest 36-hole lead in US Open history.

McIlroy had already set the record for any player to reach 10 under at a US Open on his way to a six-stroke advantage, which he extended to eight strokes heading into the final round.

There was to be no final-round struggle this time for the then 22-year-old, who smashed Tiger Woods’ tournament scoring record by ending the week on 16 under. An eight-shot victory over Jason Day remains – as of 2025 – the largest winning margin in the tournament’s history.

2012 PGA Championship

The hype heightened after another record-breaking win at Kiawah Island in 2012, which helped him return to the top of the world rankings.

McIlroy had followed an opening-round 67 with a three-over 75 in windy conditions on Friday to sit three strokes off the halfway lead, before a five-under 67 during a weather-affected third round pulled him three ahead.

The chasing pack’s hopes faded on the final day when McIlroy birdied three of his first seven holes to extend his lead, before three more birdies over the last seven holes saw him close out a stunning eight-shot victory.

The winning margin was the largest in PGA Championship history – breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record – and saw McIlroy become the youngest player to two major wins since Woods, with the win the second leg in his bid for Grand Slam glory.

2014 The Open

McIlroy has historically not always produced the fastest of starts at majors, although his bogey-free opening round at Royal Liverpool in 2014 laid the foundations for a wire-to-wire victory.

Another 66 in the second round gave McIlroy, by now 25, a four-shot cushion heading into the weekend, and he added a third-round 68 – including two eagles in his last three holes – to take a six-shot lead into the final day.

Sergio Garcia charged up the leaderboard and briefly closed within two of McIlroy, who had slipped back to level par for the day with a bogey at the 13th, while Ricke Fowler also produced a late birdie finish to stay in contention.

But McIlroy shrugged off any potential final-round collapse and extended his lead with a birdie at the 16th, with a one-under 71 enough for a two-shot win over Garcia and Fowler and to secure the Claret Jug.

2014 PGA Championship

It was a summer to remember for McIlroy in 2014, as he added a WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title to his win at The Open before securing his fourth major success with a narrow win at Valhalla Golf Club.

McIlroy had regained the world No 1 spot the previous week and took a one-shot lead into the final round, following scores of 66 and 67, by birdieing three of the last four holes in a third-round 67.

A slow start to the final day had left Phil Mickelson and Fowler ahead of McIlroy, who started a back-nine fightback with a stunning eagle at the par-five 10th and a birdie at the par-four 13th.

McIlroy birdied the 17th to take a two-shot lead over Mickelson to the final hole, where a two-putt par – in near darkness due to fading light – was enough to secure the Wanamaker Trophy for a second time.

2025 The Masters

It would take 11 years and a lot of near-misses for McIlroy to add to his major tally, as he closed out a memorable, maiden Masters triumph in 2025 via a rollercoaster final round and dramatic play-off at Augusta National.

McIlroy double-bogeyed the opening hole on Sunday to immediately lose his two-shot 54-hole lead to Bryson DeChambeau, then took control of the tournament before dropping four shots – including a double-bogey at the par-five 13 – in a four-hole stretch.

A remarkable approach shot in the trees set up a two-putt birdie for McIlroy at the 15th and another birdie at the 17th gave him a one-shot buffer heading to the 72nd hole, where he missed a five-foot putt for par and slipped into a play-off against Justin Rose.

McIlroy made amends in the play-off by setting up a close-range birdie chance, which he converted to spark emotional celebrations and make him just the sixth player to complete the men’s career Grand Slam.

Woods, Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen are the others to have won all four majors in their careers, with McIlroy’s Masters victory fulfilling his childhood dream and cementing his place as one of golf’s all-time greats.

2026 The Masters

Like London buses.

After an 11-year wait for a fifth major win, and 16 years of playing at The Masters without success, McIlroy went back-to-back in 2026 – just the fourth player to do so, and first since Woods in 2001 and ’02.

After the at times unbearable tension of his dramatic, career Grand Slam-clinching triumph the year before, at the halfway stage of this year’s tournament it looked like the now unburdened defending champion was going to cruise to a convincing victory more of the vintage of his early major successes.

McIlroy took a six-shot lead into the weekend, the biggest 36-hole lead in Masters history as he moved to 12 under with a magnificent second-round 65 following on from his opening 67.

But that advantage had evaporated by Saturday evening, as a one-over 73 allowed the chasing pack to close in, with Cameron Young tying for the lead going into Sunday.

A double-bogey at the fourth, and another dropped shot at six saw him lose his grip on the lead, but McIlroy responded with back-to-back birdies at seven and eight, while successive gains again at 12 and 13 saw him perched at the top once more.

Despite Rose and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler still being in with a sniff, McIlroy avoided a repeat of another play-off as he closed out a narrow one-shot win with a two-putt bogey at 18.

Will McIlroy enjoy more major success? Watch The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open exclusively live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with NOW.