There could have been no more popular winner of the 2025 US Masters than Rory McIlroy.
In the absence of Tiger Woods, all eyes were on McIlroy in 2025 and his quest to finally complete the career Grand Slam. In doing so, the story changed to how McIlroy would play Augusta with the monkey off his back. As it happened, rather well.
On Sunday afternoon back in 2011, it was impossible to consider that McIlroy would win three of the four majors and the US Masters wouldn’t be one of them. The Northern Irishman led by four going into the final round on Sunday before dropping six shots on 10, 11 and 12, starting what has been one of the most complex relationships a golfer has ever had with a major.
Fourteen years later, doing it in the hardest way imaginable, McIlroy finally completed a lifetime's ambition, going back-to-back in 2026.
Here we look back at McIlroy’s record at the US Masters and some of his most memorable finishes.
Rory McIlroy's US Masters record by year
Year | Position |
|---|---|
2009 | T20 |
2010 | MC |
2011 | T15 |
2012 | T40 |
2013 | T25 |
2014 | T8 |
2015 | 4 |
2016 | T10 |
2017 | T7 |
2018 | T5 |
2019 | T21 |
2020 | T5 |
2021 | MC |
2022 | 2 |
2023 | MC |
2024 | T22 |
2025 | 1 |
2026 | 1 |
Rory McIlroy's US Masters stats
Appearances | 18 |
Rounds played | 66 |
Best round | 64 |
Worst round | 80 |
Cuts made | 15 |
Money won | $13,043,021 |
Top 10s | 9 |
Rory McIlroy's most memorable Masters finishes
2011
A prodigious golfer, McIlroy recorded a T20 finish on his Masters debut in 2009, missing the cut the following year.
By 2011, McIlroy was one of the world’s best golfers with four major top-10s to his name, primed for a first charge at the Green Jacket. Sharing the lead with a first-round 65, McIlroy led by two on Friday and by four on Saturday. Not only did he lead by four, the chasing pack was missing the stellar names you’d associate with a Masters leaderboard.
Of the four players tied second going into the final round, only Charl Schwartzel was ranked in the world’s top 40 (29th).
An outward nine of 37 saw McIlroy’s lead reduced before disaster struck. Standing on the 10th tee, McIlroy swung a wild hook towards the Butler Cabin. A loose recovery, another wayward approach and an errant pitch all followed, with McIlroy taking five blows to find the green. A two-putt saw McIlroy leave with a seven, before four-putting from around 20 feet – and three-putting from three feet – on the 12th to end his tournament, where he’d ultimately finish in a tie for 15th, 10 shots back.
2016
As the years go by, the 2016 Masters will only be remembered for Jordan Spieth’s monumental meltdown allowing Danny Willett to win (as well as Ernie Els’ horrifying six-putt on the Thursday), but it was also the year of McIlroy’s second glimpse of a Green Jacket.
After eventually recovering with a T8 and 4 in 2014 and 2015 without ever contending, McIlroy found himself back amongst it once more in 2016, one back of defending champion Jordan Spieth going into Saturday, but three bogeys, one double and zero birdies saw McIlroy play himself out of contention with a 77, eventually finishing T10.
2018
After seven years, McIlroy found himself in the final group on Sunday at the Masters once more. He’d hung around the leaderboard throughout the week, being three, five and three shots back of the leader after each round.
McIlroy got within one of leader Patrick Reed on the second hole, but would play the final 16 holes three-over-par while Reed played them two-under-par to win a first Green Jacket.
McIlroy recorded another Masters top-five, but his wait continued.
2020
At an autumn-softened Augusta National, McIlroy must have fancied his chances going into the Covid-delayed 2020 Masters. Across the final three days, McIlroy was a magnificent 14-under-par. For context, that was a shot better than runaway winner Dustin Johnson.
The difference, of course, came on Thursday, when Johnson shot 65 to McIlroy’s 75. McIlroy hit a dismal pull-hook on the par-5 13th to make bogey, finding water on 16 to make another bogey. He’d finish +3, and while his final three rounds were the best in the field, one bad round had, yet again, prevented the Northern Irishman contending for the Green Jacket.
2022
After 10 straight made cuts at Augusta, McIlroy missed the weekend in 2021. In 2022, the history books show that McIlroy finished second (remarkably, his first top-three finish at Augusta) and shot a final-round 64 to tie the Sunday record at the Masters.
But as had been the case in too many tournament, a slow start killed McIlroy’s chances.
After the first three rounds, McIlroy was seven, 10 and 10 shots back, but for one in the pro column, McIlroy was outstanding on Sunday, making birdies on 1, 3, 7, 8 and 10 as well as an eagle on 13 to get within four of the lead.
Needing a birdie on the last to post the clubhouse lead and have even the faintest chance of winning, McIlroy found the greenside bunker. But creating what was instantly one of the most iconic Masters moments that didn’t involve a winner, McIlroy splashed out perfectly, seeing his ball trickle down the green and into the hole, sparking jubilation in the gallery.
It was, of course, too little too late, but it will be a fond memory to call upon should McIlroy find himself in the mix on Sunday this year.
2025
By 2025, McIlroy had seemingly learned his lesson. He'd finally acknowledged that good golf at Augusta looked like boring golf. It's why the conservative Scottie Scheffler had two Green Jackets and the aggressive McIlroy had none. But having worked on his short game, McIlroy felt he could be more aggressive once again.
A measured first round saw McIlroy take advantage of the easier holes and avoid trouble on the harder holes, getting to -4 through his first 13, only for disaster to strike on 15. Just off the back of the 15th green in two, McIlroy had a testing up and down for birdie, only to be too aggressive and pitch into the water, leading to a double bogey seven.
Another big error on 17 saw McIlroy fail to get up and down, making another double bogey to seemingly play his way out of the tournament.
But back-to-back 66s, the best rounds of the day, on Friday and Saturday saw McIlroy somehow leading by two going into Sunday, with not all that much to worry about behind him. Bryson DeChambeau was two back, Corey Conners four back, Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Reed were six back. Seven -- and surely too far -- back, were four players including Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose.
Sunday again got off to a nightmare start. A double bogey-par start saw McIlroy surrender his lead to DeChameabu, who went par-birdie, but a four-shot swing over the next two holes saw McIlroy take charge again.
Birdies on nine and 10 saw McIlroy move four shots clear of Rose before a bogey on 11. Then on 13, with the tournament in his hands, disaster struck once again. Opting to lay up from the middle of the fairway, McIlroy shockingly found the water with his third, a simple pitch to the green. Failing to get up and down, making a double-bogey seven, McIlroy dropped another shot on the 14th as Rose moved into the lead.
Hitting the shot of a lifetime with his second on 15, McIlroy made birdie there and again on 17 to move one shot clear of Rose heading up the 18th.
McIlroy's approach on 18 found the bunker, missing a short par putt to win the tournament and forcing a play-off.
Hauling himself off the Augusta canvas for the umpteenth time, McIlroy made birdie on the first play-off hole to finally realise his life's ambition.
2026
There were question marks around McIlroy heading into the 2026 Masters. He'd not played since the Players Championship a month prior, when still struggling with the lingering effects of a back injury that prompted his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week before.
Despite that, it was a fascinating prospect to see how a freed-up McIlroy would play Augusta. No longer burdened by expectation, McIlroy was able to play without pressure, and shared the first round lead with a 67, storming to a six-shot advantage after the second round.
McIlroy's play hadn't been quite as stellar as the scoring suggested, and things caught up with him in the third round. The six-shot lead evaporated, and the Northern Irishman would start Sunday in the final group alongside Cameron Young tied at -11.
After an untidy double bogey on four, McIlroy was clinging on by his fingertips as the likes of Young and Justin Rose held the solo lead while the defending champion found himself three behind. But Young's momentum stalled and Rose made back-to-back bogeys. A pair of birdies and suddenly McIlroy led again before hitting arguably his best shot of the tournament on 12, caressing a fade over Rae's Creek and within birdie range.
McIlroy made his birdie putt, Young missed his, and McIlroy never looked back from there. Despite a strong leaderboard of players breathing down McIlroy's neck, none were able to put up a real challenge, and with a bogey on the last, McIlroy won a second consecutive Masters.
Year Position 2009 T20th 2010 MC 2011 T15th 2012 T40th 2013 T25th 2014 T8th 2015 4th 2016 T10th 2017 T7th 2018 T5th 2019 T21st 2020 T5th 2021 MC 2022 2nd 2023 MC 2024 T22nd
