What's Next for Rory McIlroy? Reflecting on His Six Major Victories

Looking back at Rory McIlroy's record-breaking major wins, including his career Grand Slam and back-to-back Masters titles... McIlroy's first major victory came in 2011 at Congressional Country Club, where he dominated the field with a remarkable display, firing rounds of 65 and 66 to take a record-breaking 36-hole lead at the US Open. This impressive performance quashed any fears of a repeat of his infamous collapse at The Masters earlier that year. The then 22-year-old McIlroy went on to win the tournament by an eight-shot margin, smashing Tiger Woods' scoring record and setting a new benchmark for the event. McIlroy's winning streak continued in 2012 with another record-breaking victory at Kiawah Island, which propelled him back to the top of the world rankings. He overcame a challenging start to the tournament, carding a three-over 75 in windy conditions on Friday, before a stunning five-under 67 in the third round put him in control. The Northern Irishman extended his lead on the final day, birdying three of his first seven holes, and eventually secured an eight-shot victory – the largest winning margin in PGA Championship history. At Royal Liverpool in 2014, McIlroy laid the foundations for a wire-to-wire victory with a bogey-free opening round. He maintained his lead throughout the tournament, adding a second-round 66 and a third-round 68, which included two eagles in his last three holes. Although Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler mounted a challenge on the final day, McIlroy remained composed, birdying the 16th hole to extend his lead and eventually securing a two-shot win. That summer, McIlroy added a WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title to his collection before claiming his fourth major success with a narrow win at Valhalla Golf Club. He carded scores of 66 and 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final round, before a stunning eagle at the 10th and a birdie at the 13th sparked a back-nine fightback. McIlroy birdied the 17th to take a two-shot lead, and a two-putt par at the final hole was enough to secure the Wanamaker Trophy for a second time. It would take 11 years 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. After double-bogeying the opening hole on Sunday, McIlroy took control of the tournament before dropping four shots in a four-hole stretch. However, a remarkable approach shot in the trees set up a two-putt birdie at the 15th, and another birdie at the 17th gave him a one-shot buffer heading to the 72nd hole. Although McIlroy slipped into a play-off against Justin Rose, he made amends by setting up a close-range birdie chance, which he converted to spark emotional celebrations and become just the sixth player to complete the men's career Grand Slam. The following year, McIlroy went back-to-back at The Masters, joining an elite group of players to achieve this feat. After taking a six-shot lead into the weekend, McIlroy's advantage evaporated by Saturday evening, but he responded with back-to-back birdies at seven and eight, and successive gains again at 12 and 13 to retake the lead. Despite Rose and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler still being in contention, McIlroy avoided a repeat of another play-off, closing out a narrow one-shot win with a two-putt bogey at the 18th. 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.