Rory McIlroy’s agonizing wait for a fifth major triumph finally came to an end in April as he won the 2025 Masters. The victory at Augusta not only vanquished the ghost of 2011, where the Northern Irishman conspired to throw away a four-stroke lead on the final day by shooting a disastrous eight over par. It also snapped an 11-year drought to finally stand on the top step at a major.
The 36-year-old has long been the face of golf, but results on the grandest stage did little to help his standing. Even in his most recent triumph, McIlroy very nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. He lost a four-stroke lead in the final eight holes on championship Sunday, missing a putt for the title on the 18th before eventually holding his nerve and triumphing past fellow Brit Justin Rose in a playoff.
Following that triumph, online golf betting sites now think that a blockbuster year could be on the cards for the newly minted green jacket owner. The latest golf betting at Bovada odds now prices McIlroy as short as +150 to win two or more majors this year, and you can get odds of +3500 for him to complete the first single-year Grand Slam of the modern era. But just how close has he come to snapping his respective droughts at all three remaining majors? Let’s find out.
PGA Championship Frustration
Rory McIlroy’s love story with the Wanamaker Trophy began with two wins in three tournaments in 2012 and 2014. The latter of those cemented his place as the dominant force on the tour, but since then, the Northern Irish sensation hasn’t really come close to claiming a hat-trick sealing title.
In the 11 years since that second title, McIlroy has only managed to finish inside the top ten on three occasions. The best of those finishes came in 2023, when he managed to tie for seventh, but even that display was emblematic of recent frustrations.
The Oak Hill Country Club showdown proved to be a stern test of patience as Wee-Mac struggled to find consistency. McIlroy entered the championship with form on his side, but an inconsistent short game haunted his efforts across all four days. Statistically, he drove the ball as well as anyone in the field, just as he always seems to do, but trouble came on the greens. His inability to capitalize on birdie opportunities placed him firmly in the middle of the pack, and he ultimately finished a distant seven strokes off the eventual champion, Brooks Koepka.
Agonies of Inches at the US Open
The US Open has always represented perhaps the toughest mental and physical challenge in professional golf, where precision often trumps flair. McIlroy shot to prominence at the tournament all the way back in 2011 as he won at Congressional to claim his first major title. But while he perhaps enjoyed his finest hour in the competition, he has also encountered his closest heartbreaks here as well.
The 2023 US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club was McIlroy at his near-best but agonizingly short of brilliance. Heading into the final round, he was locked in a battle with a scorching-hot Bryson DeChambeau. Riding his elite approach play and newly-found steady putting game, Rory found himself two shots in the lead with five holes remaining. Then, devastatingly, the mercurial nature of the US Open struck.
Just as McIlroy always seems to do, he found a way to throw his shot at victory away. Bogeys in two of the final five holes handed the victory to his American rival by a single stroke, leaving his supporters wondering whether that elusive fifth major would ever be claimed.
If 2023 stung, 2024 at Pinehurst seemed designed to add salt to the wound. McIlroy was once again a key contender on Championship Sunday after an electric moving-day charge left him two shots back of the lead. However, it was déjà vu all over again. On the treacherous final four holes, disaster struck, with two missed putts inside 10 feet – an undoing that would see him finish a single shot off DeChambeau yet again.
The Open Championship Heartbreaker at Carnoustie
For Rory McIlroy, the Open is not just another major. It’s home. Deeply woven into the tradition and identity of British golf, this major has huge significance, and his 2014 win remains a career highlight. However, no moment at the tournament has haunted him quite like 2018 at Carnoustie.
On paper, it was Rory’s time to shine. His creativity off the tee and knack for navigating links-land terrain positioned him as a favorite that year. Through three days, his name continually hovered near the top of the leaderboard, setting up a captivating final round alongside defending champion Jordan Spieth in the final group.
With McIlroy well in contention, late drama came at the fabled 16th. A towering drive set up a mid-range eagle putt to take the solo lead. Thousands of fans braced themselves for a trademark roar, but the ball cruelly lipped out, leaving Rory visibly frustrated as he tapped in for birdie. The closing holes were a thrilling tug-of-war with Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who eventually edged McIlroy by two strokes after a clinical bogey-free round.
This year, The Open returns to Northern Ireland for the first time in years. Royal Portrush, a course a stone’s throw away from where McIlroy grew up, will play host, and the hometown hero will be aiming to deliver once again in front of his adoring public.