Which major has Rory McIlroy not won? Here's what he needs to complete career grand slam

Bryan Murphy

Which major has Rory McIlroy not won? Here's what he needs to complete career grand slam image

It did not take Rory McIlroy long to establish himself among the elite on the PGA Tour.

The native of North Ireland earned his first major victory at the age of 22. Three years later, he became the third player in history to win four majors by the age of 25. 

While McIlroy has won plenty on the tour since then, a major championship has not been one of them. It looked like he was certainly well on his way to securing a Grand Slam — winning all four majors — but that fourth and final victory to complete the circuit has evaded him. 

McIlroy is still in his prime at 35. He currently is the No. 3 golfer in the world and already has picked up one win so far in 2024, coming at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. He's aiming to pick up his second at the 2024 U.S. Open. 

Here is what to know about McIlroy's major history and which tournament he still needs to win for a Grand Slam. 

LIVE: Follow U.S. Open leaderboard updates from Round 4

When was the last time Rory McIlroy won a major?

It's been almost a decade since the last time McIlroy earned a win at a major tournament. In 2014, the Northern Irishman emerged victorious at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

He trailed by one stroke after the first round, but he moved into sole possession of first place after the first 36 holes. Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, and Henrick Stenson all made a run at McIlroy in the final round, while the group also battled the pending darkness at Valhalla. It made for an enticing and dramatic finish, but a par on the 18th hole secured McIlroy's first-place finish, winning the PGA Championship for the second time. He shot 16-under at the competition. 

How many majors has Rory McIlroy won?

McIlroy has won a major four times in his career, including two in the same year. 

  • U.S. Open (2011)
  • PGA Championship (2012, 2014)
  • British Open (2014)

McIlroy won his first major in 2011 at the U.S. Open, winning by eight strokes to run away with the tournament. He followed his success with his win at the PGA Championship in 2012.

MORE: Patrick Cantlay vs. Rory McIlroy beef history, explained

In 2014, he won his third and fourth majors back-to-back, securing victories at the British Open and PGA Championship.

TournamentScore to parWinning margin
2011 U.S. Open16 under8 strokes
2012 PGA Championship13 under8 strokes
2014 British Open17 under2 strokes
2014 PGA Championship16 under1 stroke

What major has Rory McIlroy not won?

In his trophy case, McIlroy has a Claret Jug (British Open), a Wanamaker Trophy (PGA Championship), and a U.S. Open Trophy. The one thing he's missing is a green jacket.

McIlroy has yet to win the Masters. He first competed at the major in 2009, however, his best finish is second place in 2022, with Scottie Scheffler denying him the career Grand Slam.

He has participated in the event every year since his debut and he has logged seven top-10 finishes in those 15 appearances.

MORE: Rory McIlroy reconciles with wife, Erica Stoll, after near divorce

Here are McIlroy's results at Augusta by year:

YearFinishScore to par
2009T-202 under
2010Missed cut7 over
2011T-154 under
2012T-405 over
2013T-252 over
2014T-8Even
2015412 under
2016T-101 over
2017T-73 under
2018T-59 under
2019T-215 under
2020T-511 under
2021Missed cut6 over
202227 under
2023Missed cut5 over
2024T-224 over

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.