The Rory Story

The legend of Rory McIlroy goes far beyond his recent triumph at the Masters. From starting on the tour in 2010 to winning a grand slam over his illustrious career, no story is dull with this man. This article will take you on a journey through Rory McIlroy’s many highs and lows in his career with the PGA.

2010: Ranked No. 10 in the world

At the age of 21, the young and talented Rory McIlroy takes the big stage, joining the PGA Tour. The Northern Irish golfer started his major career at the Masters, where he finished with a +7 and missed the cut after the second round. Not the start he wanted.

To make matters worse, he then went to Pebble Beach, where he tied the course record in the U.S. Open in the first round, shooting a 63. The second day, he fell apart and ended with a +10, then missed the cut again.

Two majors, two missed cuts.

The mental toll this takes on a young golfer is detrimental. Rory’s major rebound at the Open Championship was astonishing. He finished tied for third with a -8, building some confidence in a shaken young man. He finished his major debut by visiting the beautiful Quail Hollow and finishing only one shot from a playoff with Bubba Watson and the eventual winner, Martin Kaymer.

A great way to finish off his rookie season.

2011: Ranked No. 3 in the world

Coming off an impressive second half of his first season, Rory looked to continue his fire on the PGA tour going into his second campaign. He started off by making it to all four rounds at Augusta National. He had ended the famous Masters tournament with a -4 and in a tie for the 15th spot.

This was widely considered to be one of Rory’s most famous Masters appearances, and not for the right reasons. Rory had a three-shot lead going into the back nine.

On the 10th tee, he pulled a drive towards out of bounds. He found his ball but could not come back. He had triple-bogeyed the hole and had swung momentum in the wrong direction. This led to one of the more famous photos taken of Rory in his career, shooting a ball out from behind a tree next to a cabin. He would eventually bogey two more holes and end the day with an 8-over.

Disaster for a young and hopeful golfer starting his Masters career. However, the very next tournament that Rory participated in (Wells Fargo Championship), he missed the cut. He finished with a +3 at Quail Hollow, which he had stunned the world at in 2010.

Then, magic.

Rory went into the Congressional Country Club on a mission. He was the leader after day one, which I had attended. Then he led on Day 2. He controlled this tournament with such a demanding lead going into the 17th hole in the last round, he three-putted. The commentators said, “It’s not like he’s going to lose.” And he certainly did not.

Finishing on 18 with a fantastic putt from the right edge of the green to set up his final putt to win the U.S. Open. At the ripe age of 22 years old, Rory McIlroy had etched his name into golf history.

2012: Ranked No. 1 in the world

With the world at his fingertips, young Rory looks at a bright future ahead. Winning the Honda Classic as his first tournament win of the year, finishing with a -12.

Suddenly, reality sets in. Rory tied for 40th at the Masters, finishing with a +5, yet to show Augusta his true talent. After it kept going downhill as the reigning champion failed to make the cut in the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, where Webb Simpson took Rory’s fallen crown. The Open Championship was not any better, as he tied for 60th, scoring a +8.

With one more major to go on the year, Rory set his sights on Kiawah. The location of the PGA Championship. McIlroy was joined by elite company in the likes of Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Bubba Watson, all competing in or near their primes.

Rory had now set a new precedent at major tournaments. When he was winning, there was no turning back. By the end of the tournament, he won by as many as 8 strokes. Truly an astonishing feat from the 23-year-old.

He then won the two succeeding tournaments as well. (Deutsche Bank, and BMW Championship)

2013: Ranked No. 6 in the world

Even with Nike calling for an endorsement deal, it was an unfortunate turn of events and a poor way to start the 2013 season for the young star, as he had to withdraw from the Honda Classic. McIlroy tweeted this after withdrawing, “Apologies to all at the Honda. A tough day made impossible by severe tooth pain. Was desperate to defend title but couldn't play on. Gutted.”

He would then say in an interview, “I’m not in a great place mentally. I can’t really say much, guys. I’m just in a bad place mentally.” One of the first times Rory had shown his emotional and mental state of the game to the public was, in turn, a foreshadowing of the rest of his career.

The year did not get much brighter from there as he went on to finish tied for 25th at the Masters and tied for 41st at the U.S. Open. That was not all. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old found himself missing the cut at the Open Championship. Rory soon recovered from his tiny slump by shooting a -3 and tied for 8th place at the PGA Championship to end his 2013 majors campaign.

2014: Ranked No. 1 in the world

Through good international play in 2013, Rory looks to 2014 with 1st ranked golfer written next to his name. To the Masters, where he went with a target on his back as the man to beat. Not living up to the hype, the first and second rounds for McIlroy were nothing short of disastrous.

This trend did not stop as he tied for an eighth-place finish, never being able to win the green jacket this year. Then took a step back at the U.S. Open by shooting a +6.

Little did Rory know that he was on the brink of greatness.

With two majors remaining, 2014 was looking bleak. However, with Rory still being the 1st-ranked golfer in the world, there were still high hopes for him.

The first major was the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. On a cloudy day at The Open, Rory was bogey-free with a -6 and one stroke over Matteo Manassero. The second round boasted new golfers in the mix to win, but atop them all sat Rory McIlroy at -12.

Dustin Johnson came soaring into second place with a -8 but was still four shots behind Rory. Severe storms and lightning had delayed the third round to a Saturday, where golfers would be put in threesomes instead of their normal pairs. The third round would be played off both the first and 10th tees.

This was the first time play went off both tees at The Open. Ricky Fowler had put up an impressive seven birdies to tie McIlroy at -12. Rory then made a 35-foot putt for birdie, while Fowler made bogey on the 14th hole. They ended the day six shots apart, with Rory having the lead.

Sergio Garcia had made a late impression on the tournament, storming to take the championship and eventually tying Rickie Fowler. McIlroy made a bogey at 13 to be only two shots ahead of Sergio.

Garcia then made a bogey to tie with Fowler. McIlroy missed the green at 17, adding to all the drama. Rory then made a magnificent chip shot, leaving himself within a foot of the hole. He had sunk a par on 18 to solidify his name with some of the greats. Rory holding the Claret Jug was only what people thought was a sign for things to come, only one major victory away from a career grand slam. “There was a feeling that the new generation was coming.”

The second of the two majors was the 2014 PGA Championship, played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Rory had a rough start to the tournament after double-bogeying. However, he followed that up with four straight birdies. He birdied his last four holes of the third round and had a one-shot lead over Bernd Wiesberger. The championship went very late into the night. Emerging from the darkness appeared Rory McIlroy with a -16 and the Wanamaker Trophy in his hands.

2015: Ranked No. 3 in the world

Rory, starting his career, had untapped potential. One win away from a career Grand Slam at the young age of 26 years old. Entering the Masters, he felt the pressure of all eyes on him at this tournament. Opening with a 71 in round one with a -1 wasn’t good enough to get him onto the podium yet. Day two was no different, with Jordan Spieth holding the reins at the top.

The third round was when Rory made his resurgence. He made some tough shots to end Saturday, tying for fifth place. The final round came, and Rory was in it to win it. Even though Jordan Spieth had a commanding lead, McIlroy still had hope.

Rory played well despite missing some crucial putts after some excellent iron play and finishing in fourth place. Jordan Spieth ended up tying Tiger Woods’s record for lowest score at the Masters, giving him his first green jacket. Something Rory was still desperate to have.

Rory would catch fire in the Wells Fargo Championship, shooting -21 and gaining some confidence going into three more majors on the year. In May, the U.S. Open rolled around, and Rory had done well up to that point.

His putting has been an issue and a weakness so far in his career. He had received a phone call lesson from Dave Stockton, who had followed Rory at a pro-am. McIlroy said in an interview, “Whenever you don’t see anything go in, it makes it harder and harder each and every hole that goes by.”

Rory ended up tying for ninth place at the U.S. Open and finished tied for 17th place at the PGA Championship.

Then, disaster struck as every athlete's worst nightmare came to life for Rory McIlroy. He was playing soccer with a few of his mates when he suffered a severe ankle ligament rupture. This not only hurts an athlete’s physical state but mental state.

In a sport such as golf, the mental aspect is 90% of the game.

Because of this mishap, he could not play in the Open Championship to defend his title.

0-4 in major championships. The lost season.

2016: Ranked No. 2 in the world

A rough start to a comeback after injury at the Honda Classic, where he had missed the cut, shooting a +4. Last season seemed to be somewhat of a fluke for the 3rd-ranked golfer in the world, but in 2016, he had yet to solve the puzzle called the Masters. He had done well in the first two rounds, shooting two 71-score days.

He made it to the final pairing with Jordan Spieth. Windy conditions did not help, as Rory had to forego hardship, tying for tenth place when he had a real shot at winning the Masters.

Blowing up is an understatement for Rory when he attended the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. He had missed the cut after two rounds, shooting 148 with a +8. On the 12th hole, he three-putted from close range, which took away all his momentum.

This tournament was crushing for Rory, and the reality of “maybe last year was not just a fluke” started to set in. This narrative did not stray when he missed the cut again at the PGA Championship with a +3. Rory had reached a new low in his career. If it weren't for tying for fifth place at the Open Championship, Rory would have had yet another lost season.

2017-2019: Ranked No. 10, 8 and 2 in the world

With his career seemingly spiraling out of control, he was performing consistently. Just not the consistency that you want out of a golfer. He would consistently get to a good round but never finish on top. In this stretch of years, he also missed numerous cuts, including back-to-back U.S. Opens in 2017 and 2018, The Open Championship in 2019, Pebble Beach, Valspar, The Players, and the Memorial Tournament.

The 2018 Masters was his best shot to win a green jacket since 2011. He had tied his career best at the Masters with a 65 in the third round on Saturday. However, in his final round, he crumbled. He fell by nine shots and struggled to gain momentum as his playing partner, Patrick Reed, went on to win his only Masters tournament.

A rough patch would be an understatement.

Relative to his underwhelming season, Rory proved himself to still be a top golfer in the world at the 2018 Open Championship. Rory had come out of the first day tied for eighth place with golfers such as Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, all at -2. He would eventually make his way up to -5 and tie for 6th place before the final day commenced. The final round had some drama.

For the former champion, he had seen this picture before. Starting the round two over par was not ideal. Not panicking, Rory birdied the ninth and 11th holes. At the 14th, he eagled with an improbable 55-foot putt. Fist in the air and a massive roar from the crowd as Rory had tied for the lead. A rollercoaster of emotions as Rory failed to make a birdie for the rest of the round.

The Italian, Francesco Molinari, pulled out to a two-shot lead over the pack and didn’t back down. He would take the crown at the Open. Yet another case of Rory’s downfall at the top.

2020-2021: Ranked No. 4 and 9 in the world

For Rory, the end of the 2019 season had an excellent finish in tournament play as he won the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. He had played some of the best golf he had played in years. As a golfer, you try to carry momentum from tournament to tournament. It's hard to do that when there is no golf to be played. COVID-19 struck the world, sending everyone into quarantine, and there was no golf for three months after the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 5, 2020. The pandemic affected many lives. In a mental game, this can change the trajectories of careers.

Rory, being the mental player he is, had this hit very hard on him. The golf world was dismayed at the hard truth that the Masters had been temporarily canceled. Yet another year Rory would have to wait to get a chance at the green jacket.

The first major coming out of lockdown was the PGA Championship, which had a very different feel because of the COVID rules. Golfers were certainly affected by this change because of the lower average scores. The scoring average was the lowest for an opening round in PGA Championship history at 71.12. One major change would include having no fans. Before COVID, this tournament was expected to have over 40,000 attendees per day.

November rolls around, and the PGA decides they do want to play the Masters. It's now cold in Augusta and very different than when the tournament was usually played. Which meant for all participants that the course was not as hard as intended. Dustin Johnson had broken the course record with a score of 268, -20. Rory tied for fifth in this Masters, not showing as much fight as the fans had hoped, losing by nine strokes.

In 2021, Rory had missed three cuts. These cuts were the Genesis Invitational, The Players, and the biggest of all, The Masters. A shameful performance that would leave any golfer struggling to stay with the sport, especially one of the best. This was a massive blow to the stomach of Rory’s career. Something that he thought he’d never find again. A new low.

2022:

Finding the bright side of golf is hard when you keep losing. But, through perseverance, you can break through that fog. This was important for Rory in 2022. To keep a mental state of “I can still win.”

April arrives, and the Masters are finally here again. Rory is ready to finally claim his green jacket. McIlroy shot a career-best -8 that included a miraculous hole-out from the greenside bunker at the 18th. Unfortunately, he had still lost to Scottie Scheffler, who gave Rory false hope when he double-bogeyed the last hole. This would give hope and high anticipation for the Masters tournament for the following year.

After a close Masters finish, the RBC tournament is always a good tournament to get your footing back and settle the nerves to realize that you are still playing real golf after a major such as the Masters.

The media had dragged his name through the mud, calling him names such as “choke artist.” And other various harmful names that would have an impact on his reputation as a golfer.

2023: Ranked No. 2 in the world

After getting so close to the green jacket, Rory is desperate for the 2023 season. The truth about athletes being desperate is that they start to press.

They get tight and lose their mental advantage in the game. This was true for Rory in 2023. After an awful two rounds, he missed the cut at The Masters. This Master's title seemed to be within reach but beyond his grasp.

After the Masters, he began to show the world why he was still regarded as one of the best golfers in the world. At the 2023 U.S. Open, he showcased his skill and poise. Finishing the tournament with an impressive -9. He had played very well despite not being the betting favorite. But in classic Rory style, he had just lost. Getting the silver medal never feels good for Rory, and you could see it.

He would finish the year winning the Genesis Scottish Open, which put a cap on a very promising end of the year for McIlroy.

2024: Ranked No. 3 in the world

The 2024 season was eerily similar to the 2023 season, as Rory only shot a better score by one stroke to barely make the cut at The Masters. Second, he had won a tournament, which happened to be the Wells Fargo Championship, finishing with a -17.

He finished in second place again at the U.S. Open with a -5. After he eventually missed the cut at the Open Championship, people were starting to wonder if he had lost his magic. Was Rory, the legendary kid who was one win away from a career grand slam, really going to be a nonfactor in tournaments to come?

2025:

A classic piano tune plays. “Hello friends, and welcome to the 89th Masters.” Green grass, azaleas, and pimento cheese sandwiches define what makes Augusta, Georgia, special. And just like that, the stage was set for the most anticipated golf event of the year and some spectacular golf.

Rory McIlroy enters this tournament with a different mindset than prior ones. Day one arrives, and he starts off flat. Rory started off even and tied for 27th place.

A nightmare situation. Justin Rose held the lead after the first round with a score of -7, closely followed by the “Swedish golfing robot,” Ludvig Åberg. To come back from a deficit of this magnitude takes mental fortitude and a winning mindset. Rory came armed and ready the next day, shooting one of his best rounds ever at Augusta National with a 66.

At the end of round two, Rory had not only tied for third place but had also cut down the lead to two strokes. He realized that it was important to stay loose. In an interview after the second day, he commented on what he did to stay focused in this tournament. He replied by talking about his routine and how he watches other sports to distract himself.

He knew that it was he against himself for this jacket. During the third day, Rory was finally ready to display his greatness at Augusta. Making a score of three strokes on all six of the first six holes showed an elite level of poise. This was the first time this had ever happened in the history of The Masters. Rory McIlroy was in the lead after day three.

Nothing could prepare a fan of Rory for what happened on Sunday. Rory found himself maintaining the lead throughout the day. Then a familiar horror occurred. He had lost his 54-hole lead to his playing partner, Bryson DeChambeau, by hitting his tee shot into a bunker and three-putting for a double-bogey. Rory then regained the lead shortly after with birdies on the third and fourth.

DeChambeau had bogeyed both holes. On the 11th hole, McIlroy couldn’t keep his drive straight and ended up in the trees. He made some remarkable recovery shots, but none better than what he did on the 15th.

Hooking a 7-iron shot around the trees and landing it less than two club lengths from the hole. He managed a two-putt for birdie out of the situation. Onto the final hole of the Masters, Rory can smell it. Justin Rose makes an unbelievable putt to get his score to -11. In the lead, Rory had hit a wedge shot into the greenside bunker.

A great out left Rory with one putt to complete a life’s work. Every patron is watching closely in person and on TV. A par putt to win the Masters.

He missed. Rory was that close to being champion and laying all the doubt to rest.

With this, the 2025 Masters was forced to a playoff. The mental toughness needed for a playoff of this magnitude is immense. All the pressure was on Rory. Both golfers found the fairway, and both found the green. It was going to come down to putting. It's interesting how the shortest part of the game can feel like the longest shots.

Justin Rose missed his putt. Rory, for all the glory. Sinks it. Pure euphoria, as McIlroy drops to his knees in relief. Eyes closed and screaming at the top of his lungs. He had done it. All the emotion on full display for the world to see. “15 years of pent-up disappointment” had all led to this moment of triumph. His name is now a legend in the PGA and will forever be remembered. Congratulations, Rory, on a career grand slam.

“It’s not so much what you can accomplish in life that really matters, but what you overcome that proves who you are, what you are, and whether you are a champion.” – Johnny Miller

Jacob Gold is a first-year student majoring in communications. To contact him, please email JRG6474@psu.edu.