How many majors has Rory McIlroy won?
Rory McIlroy has had a superb career in the major championships, but just how many has he won and how did he win them?
It is a question about Rory McIlroy that golf nuts and even casual fans will probably know the answer to, but one to which it is difficult to respond.
McIlroy has been winning trophies in the professional game since 2009, and he has also found himself at the top of major leaderboards on more occasions than most players.
The Northern Irishman has won four major titles. His most recent one came in 2014 when he was at the peak of his powers, and this was at the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Having dominantly opened his account in 2011 at the US Open, a matter of months after choking at the Masters at Augusta National, he won his first PGA Championship title a year later at Kiawah Island by eight shots from Englishman David Lynn.
He added a second Wanamaker trophy two years later after winning the Claret Jug. In 2024, the 35-year-old still hasn’t added to his account, which is truly remarkable considering the close calls he’s had at golf’s big four events since.
He should’ve won the 2022 Open at St Andrews, and he probably should’ve won the US Open in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club. The big one will always be the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst where he surrendered the title to Bryson DeChambeau after missing short putts on holes 16 and 18.
So, how many majors has Rory McIlroy won and how did he win them?
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How many majors has Rory McIlroy won?
2011 US Open at Congressional
McIlroy won his first major and broke several records at this US Open in Maryland. He set the lowest 72-hole score at 268 and the lowest total to par on 16-under. He also became the fifth player, and Robert Garrigus became the sixth player, to shoot under par in all four rounds at the event.
It was a wire-to-wire major victory that began with a 65 on Thursday which opened a three-shot lead to reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and former PGA champion Y.E Yang.
He took a six-shot lead over Yang into the weekend and went on to shoot 68 and 69 on Saturday and Sunday to cash in the $1,440,000 winner’s prize and an eight-shot victory over Australia’s Jason Day, who shot 65 and 68 in the final two rounds..
2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island
Interestingly, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh shared the 36-hole lead at the 2012 PGA Championship with Sweden’s Carl Pettersson. McIlroy was two shots behind on two-under-par with rounds of 67 and 75.
But he took control in the third round on the Ocean Course which had to be completed on Sunday morning after a weather delay. When play was halted on Saturday evening, McIlroy and Singh were tied on six-under, but when the third round concluded on Sunday, McIlroy held a three-shot lead.
A final-round 66 in South Carolina meant the field had no chance of catching the runaway winner who set the record winning margin at the PGA Championship, surpassing Jack Nicklaus’ seven-shot win in 1980.
2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool
McIlroy hadn’t been close to winning The Open before arriving on Merseyside. Something clicked at Royal Liverpool as he became just the sixth player in the history of The Open to lead from start to finish.
He shot six-under on the first day to lead by one shot from Italy’s Matteo Manassero. He held a six-shot lead over Rickie Fowler heading into the final round, and a seven-shot advantage over Sergio Garcia.
Garcia gave it an almighty run on Sunday, carding a 66 and at one stage getting within two shots of McIlroy. But the eventual winner’s 71 was enough to seal his first Claret Jug.
2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club
McIlroy won the third PGA Championship to be held at Valhalla by one shot from Phil Mickelson. It was an exciting finish in Kentucky as the final two groups shared the 18th hole on Sunday as they were racing to beat the fading light.
The final round wasn’t plain sailing. Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson all found themselves ahead of McIlroy at one stage, but the man with purple Nike sleeves eagled the 10th hole and birdied the 13th and 17th on his way to victory.
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Will there be more Rory McIlroy major wins? WillMcIlroy ever win the Green Jacket? Will he emulate the success of Scottie Scheffler in recent years and win more major championships? Tell us on X!
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spoken to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, to name just a few.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
