He’s tried almost everything to add to his Major tally, but could maybe a return to the scenes of his last one 10 years ago help Rory McIlroy end his long drought?
His resounding victory at the Wells Fargo Championship means he’s won his last two starts heading to Valhalla – just as he did a decade ago – and McIlroy hopes “the stars are aligning a little bit” for him to finally end his wait for a fifth Major.
When McIlroy claimed the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla he was on top of the golfing world – and few would have thought that he’d have to wait at least a decade for another.
He had, after all, just won back-to-back Majors in 2014 – following up the Open Championship at Hoylake with the PGA Championship at Valhalla and would head to The Masters in 2025 as favourite to complete the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy’s one-shot victory over Phil Mickelson as darkness fell in Kentucky showed that the Northern Irishman was almost unbeatable on his day.
“I think Rory has an opportunity to win 15 or 20 Majors or whatever he wants to do if he wants to keep playing,” said the great Jack Nicklaus after McIlroy’s win.
And even at the 2015 Masters there weren’t too many warning signs as he shot 68-66 at the weekend to finish T4 at Augusta National.
McIlroy even followed up with a top 10 finish at the 2015 US Open, but it’s been a case of so near yet so far ever since in his bewildering Major drought.
In fact, McIlroy’s had 20 top 10 finishes in his 35 Majors since winning at Valhalla – 10 of those being top fives with two runners-up spots.
He finished no worse than eighth in seven of eight Majors across 2022 and 2023, but McIlroy’s just not been able to find that winning formula to get him over the hump.
Rory McIlroy won his first Major at the 2011 US Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
So could Valhalla and the memories of his last victory conjure up something extra special to spur McIlroy on?
It’s worth a shot surely, as he’s tried everything else so maybe diving full-length into the nostalgia of conquering the Kentucky course can inspire him.
Not that it quite worked last year as he returned to Royal Liverpool where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2014, but was left trailing in Brian Harman’s wake, although links golf is a bit different and not his strongest suit.
At T6 he was just a shot off the…
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