When Rory McIlroy claimed the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, he became just the third male golfer of all time to win four Major championships by the age of 25 along with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
He had only just set down the Open Championship trophy at Hoylake a few weeks earlier, having already won the US Open in 2011 and the first of his two Wannamaker Trophies the following year.
Since then, the 34-year-old's level of consistency has been nothing short of outstanding at the top of professional golf and has helped him to win three Race To Dubai titles and a hat-trick of FedEx Cups along with 15 PGA Tour trophies and four European Tour events.
But despite regularly visiting the winner's circle after a regulation tournament, no matter the prestige involved, McIlroy has failed to add to his Major collection and has suffered a number of near misses, too. Over the last ten years, he has registered 20 top-ten finishes in Majors, including seven in his last eight starts.
American rival Brooks Koepka has won five since 2014 while Jordan Spieth has captured three. While that might not necessarily affect McIlroy, especially, his inability to complete his own career Grand Slam most certainly has done.
Speaking on Golf.com’s Subpar podcast in late 2023, the 33-year-old previously addressed his struggles to win the desired Major, admitting one of the reasons he has always come up short is down to the pressure he puts on himself.
He said: “I think sometimes because it’s the one I haven’t won, the only thing I think about that week is winning it, and that’s not the way to approach a golf tournament.
"I think, sometimes at Augusta, I’m too much of a leaderboard-watcher too early... I probably get in my head a little too much around there at times. But there have been other times where I’ve handled it OK and I’ve had good results.”
McIlroy has tried plenty of different tactics to add Major number five - whether it be a third PGA Championship or an inaugural Masters - including playing more, playing less, and practicing on site in the build-up, each without success. He did come closest in 2022 when rallying brilliantly on the Sunday to finish T2 behind Scottie Scheffler, but the American was far too good for all concerned that year.
McIlroy's latest significant alteration could genuinely aid his cause, though, with the Northern Irishman having left the PGA Tour's Policy Board in a bid to focus on his own game. With far fewer distractions on his plate and all the talent in the world in his body, fans appear confident that McIlroy will do it in 2024.
Having previously come to the conclusion that the World No.2 would never complete his personal Grand Slam, the optimism of a New Year has perhaps persuaded some to somewhat cross over and say McIlroy will hold a Major aloft in the next 12 months, just not the trophy shaped like a clubhouse...
Will Rory McIlroy win a Major in 2024?January 4, 2024
In our Yes or No poll on X (formerly Twitter), 59.6% of the 906 people who cast a vote agree that McIlroy will win a Major in 2024. Meanwhile, on Facebook, the majority of the well-supported comments agreed - but only if McIlroy's sole focus was on his golf and not LIV.
McIlroy had been one of the biggest opponents to the Saudi-backed series since its inception in 2022 but recently appeared to change his mind and admit LIV Golf "was now a part of the sport" when speaking to the the Stick To Football podcast - hosted by former English Premier League players Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, and Ian Wright.
Whether McIlroy's new, more simplistic approach pays dividends in the form of a fifth Major is yet to be seen, but it seems the World No.2 will certainly have the backing of the fans as he attempts it - that is, providing he Sticks To Golf.
