Rory McIlroy became a six-time major winner on Sunday after defending his Masters crown at Augusta National.
In doing so, McIlroy joined an elite group of players to successfully retain the Green Jacket, joining Jack Nicklaus (1965, 1965), Nick Faldo (1989, 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2002).
We take a look at each of the Northern Irishman's victories in the game's biggest events.
2011 US Open, Congressional
Two months after blowing a four-shot lead in the final round of the Masters by collapsing to a closing 80 at Augusta National, McIlroy took full advantage of a rain-softened Congressional to storm to an eight-shot victory with a new tournament record of 16-under par. In total McIlroy set or equalled 11 records as he followed an opening 65 – the same score with which he had started the Masters – with rounds of 66, 68 and 69 to leave the rest of the field trailing in his wake.
2012 US PGA, Kiawah Island
McIlroy’s second major title also came by an eight-shot margin, although he did not have it all his own way in South Carolina. An opening 67 left him a shot off the pace before a second round of 75 in windy conditions doubled his deficit to Sweden’s Carl Pettersson. McIlroy only played nine holes on Saturday due to a thunderstorm which forced play to be suspended, but completed a 67 on Sunday morning and then pulled away with a closing 66.
2014 Open Championship, Royal Liverpool
Another runaway victory appeared on the cards on Merseyside for Manchester United fan McIlroy, who led by one after the opening round and moved four clear at halfway thanks to a second successive 66. A third round of 68 gave McIlroy a seemingly insurmountable six-shot lead, but he was made to work hard by Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia before winning by two shots to complete the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
2014 US PGA, Valhalla
McIlroy took a week off after his Open triumph but had lost none of his form, returning to action by winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, with Garcia again two shots behind. The following week McIlroy made it a hat-trick of wins with a dramatic victory at Valhalla, with play finishing in almost total darkness following an earlier two-hour weather delay. Runner-up Phil Mickelson and third-placed Fowler had to stand aside on the 18th hole to allow McIlroy to play and ensure the tournament could finish, McIlroy making par after Mickelson’s birdie to win by one.
2025 Masters, Augusta National
McIlroy recovered from an opening 72 with back-to-back rounds of 66 to take a two-shot lead into the final round, only to lose it immediately with a double bogey on the first. Four birdies in the next nine holes gave McIlroy a seemingly unassailable five-shot cushion, but he double-bogeyed the 13th and missed from five feet for the title on the 18th before making a birdie on the same hole in a sudden-death play-off to beat Justin Rose.
2026 Masters, Augusta National
McIlroy looked like running away with the defence of his Green Jacket after opening up a six-shot lead on 12 under on Friday night, the biggest 36-hole lead in the tournament’s history. But he squandered that advantage on Saturday, shooting a 73 to head into the final round level on 11 under with Cameron Young. A roller-coaster final round saw several players rise to the top of the leaderboard, but when McIlroy went two clear with a birdie at the 12th the tournament was back in his control. He bogeyed the last, but he still won by one shot.
