Rory McIlroy's Path to Multiple Major Victories

Looking back on Rory McIlroy's six major championship wins, a career Grand Slam, and consecutive Masters titles... McIlroy was under intense scrutiny at the 2011 Congressional Country Club, following a dramatic collapse at The Masters earlier that year. However, he silenced critics with a commanding performance, setting a new US Open record for the largest 36-hole lead. His dominant display began with rounds of 65 and 66, breaking Tiger Woods' tournament scoring record and securing an eight-shot victory over Jason Day - the largest winning margin in the tournament's history. The hype surrounding McIlroy intensified after a record-breaking win at Kiawah Island in 2012, which propelled him back to the top of the world rankings. He overcame a challenging second round to take a three-stroke lead, before birdieing three of his first seven holes on the final day to seal an eight-shot victory - the largest margin in PGA Championship history. McIlroy's wire-to-wire victory at Royal Liverpool in 2014 laid the foundation for a successful summer, which included a WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title and a narrow win at Valhalla Golf Club. He regained the world No 1 spot and took a one-shot lead into the final round, before a stunning eagle and birdie propelled him to a two-shot win over Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler. After an 11-year wait, McIlroy secured his fifth major title with a dramatic play-off victory at the 2025 Masters. He double-bogeyed the opening hole on Sunday, before taking control of the tournament and eventually overcoming Justin Rose in the play-off to complete the men's career Grand Slam. McIlroy became the sixth player to achieve this feat, joining an elite group that includes Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen. His Masters victory fulfilled a childhood dream and cemented his status as one of golf's all-time greats. In 2026, McIlroy made history by becoming the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles, and the first since Woods in 2001 and '02. Despite a dramatic final round, McIlroy responded to adversity with back-to-back birdies and successive gains to secure a narrow one-shot win and prove his ability to perform under pressure. Will McIlroy continue to dominate the golfing world? Watch The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open exclusively live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with NOW.