It has been nearly a decade since Rory McIlroy won a major on the PGA Tour. He aims to break through again this weekend at Royal Liverpool, the site of his last victory in the major.
He enters as one of the favorites to win the 2023 British Open at Hoylake, Merseyside, England: He is not only ranked No. 2 per the Official World Golf Rankings, but also is coming off a one-stroke victory at the Scottish Open. Plus, he has had success playing the Open Championship before.
Apart from his 2014 win at the British Open — when he was a 25-year-old taking the golf world by storm — McIlroy also has four top-five finishes at the event over the last seven years. That said, the 2014 season was the last year he won a major: He also won at the PGA Championship, a month after claiming his first British Open.
The pro from Northern Ireland came close in 2022, taking a share of the lead as the field entered the final day of competition. He ultimately slipped to third place by the end. Will he be able to finish atop the leaderboard in 2023?
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The Sporting News takes a look back at McIlroy's last major wins from 2014, the dominance that preceded them and his close calls since:
Rory McIlroy 2014 Open Championship
McIlroy entered the 2014 Open Championship with two major wins already in his back pocket. He dominated in 2011 at the U.S. Open, where he finished eight strokes ahead of second-place Jason Day. He then won in similar fashion at the 2012 PGA Championship, beating second-place David Lynn by eight strokes.
McIlroy held the lead after the first day at Royal Liverpool, and did not give it up the rest of the tournament. He shot 6 under in Rounds 1 and 2, building a four-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson after cut day.
In Round 3, McIlroy shot 4 under and entered Sunday with a four-stroke lead over the rest of the field. It's a good thing he built up such a lead, because he had his worst day in the final round, shooting 1 under par to end two strokes ahead of Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia.
With the victory, McIlroy not only became just the third European golfer to win three different majors, but also joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to win three majors by the age of 25.
Rory McIlroy 2014 PGA Championship
About a month after claiming the British Open, and just a week after a win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, McIlroy entered the 2014 PGA Championship freshly ranked No. 1 in the world and looking to claim his second career win at the major.
McIlroy had a strong Round 1, shooting 5 under on the day to enter Friday in a five-way tie for fourth, sitting one stroke behind the three leaders. McIlroy on Day 2 took sole possession of the top of the leaderboard, shooting 4 under in Round 2.
In Round 3, McIlroy dropped out of first place, shooting about even for a majority of the day. However, the Northern Irish golfer came alive in the final four holes, securing three birdies to drop his final score to 4 under on the day and retake the lead.
On Sunday, McIlroy battled the impending darkness at Valhalla, creating one of the more memorable endings at the major. Phil Mickelson, Fowler and Henrik Stenson all threatened to take the top spot, before McIlroy came through at the end to secure two birdies on the back nine. He ended the tournament 16 under, giving him the win with a one-stroke lead over Mickelson.
With the victory, McIlroy became the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to win consecutive majors. However, it was his last major championship — something he hopes to correct at the 2023 Open Championship.
MORE: Breaking down Rory McIlroy's majors timeline
Rory McIlroy Open Championship history
McIroy has done quite well at the Open Championship. In addition to winning the 2014 Open, the veteran has five other top-five finishes, most recently coming in third at the 2022 Open Championship.
Here is the full history of McIlroy at The Open, from his first attempt in 2007 through his most recent in 2022:
| Year | Finish |
| 2007 | T42 |
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | T47 |
| 2010 | T3 |
| 2011 | T25 |
| 2012 | T60 |
| 2013 | Cut |
| 2014 | Won |
| 2015 | N/A |
| 2016 | T5 |
| 2017 | T4 |
| 2018 | T2 |
| 2019 | Cut |
| 2020 | No tournament |
| 2021 | T46 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | TBD |
