Rory McIlroy, the Masters and a tale of two droughts Premium

Rory McIlroy's quest for a Masters victory and career Grand Slam after a transformative year of self-discovery and growth.

When Rory McIlroy arrived at Augusta National’s iconic golf course last year, he was supremely confident of his chances at the Major that has become an obsession for him. 

After shooting 5-under on the second nine during practice the day before the tournament, the Northern Irishman “honestly thought” he was “gonna have the best Masters” he had “ever had”. 

McIlroy had been rotating the top spot in golf’s rankings with current World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Spaniard Jon Rahm at that point in time, and was regarded as one of the favourites going into the Masters — so, his confidence was not misplaced. Instead, McIlroy shot 72-77 and missed the cut at a tournament that has eluded him for 15 years.

Runner-up by three strokes in 2022 — his best finish at Augusta — McIlroy is a four-time Major champion. But it is almost a decade since his win at the 2014 Open left him needing only a Masters victory to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods as the only players to achieve the career Grand Slam.

It’s no wonder the 34-year-old once described the Masters as the “final piece of the puzzle”.

The Masters isn’t the only drought McIlroy is seeking to end. He is also winless at the Majors since his 2014 PGA Championship triumph. So, when he tees off at the 2024 Masters next week, he will have yet another opportunity to conclude two dry spells at once.

The World No. 2 has been in contention at the Majors during this winless stretch — in fact, no other player has more top-10 finishes than McIlroy’s 20 during this period. Over the last two years, he has four top-five finishes and three other top-10 finishes in eight Major tournaments!