How close has McIlroy come to ending ten-year Major drought?

Next week's 106th edition of the PGA Championship will return to a very familiar course in the form of Valhalla Golf Club, which has already played host to three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup back in 2008.

The last time Valhalla hosted the tournament a certain Rory McIlroy won by one stroke from Phil Mickelson in near darkness in 2014, just three weeks after the Northern Irishman was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year following his Open Championship triumph at Royal Liverpool.

That second victory at the PGA Championship made it four Majors in four years for McIlroy, all by the age of 25. Few would have guessed that a decade later he would have failed to add to his four Major titles.

Here, we take a look at some of his near misses in the game’s four grandest events in the last decade.

2018 Masters Tournament

Chasing down a career Grand Slam, McIlroy started the final round of the Masters in the last pairing of the day alongside Patrick Reed, who held a three-stroke lead over the four-time Major winner.

That lead looked set to be wiped out almost immediately at just the second hole of the day after Reed had made bogey at the first before McIlroy left himself a four-foot eagle putt on the second to tie the lead. He somehow missed and that would set the tone for the day, with McIlroy making several careless mistakes to sign for a closing 74 to finish in a share of fifth. Reed would go on to win the tournament by one stroke from compatriot Rickie Fowler.

This marked the second time McIlroy had been in the final pairing of The Masters, with the previous occasion, three years earlier, resulting in one of the worst meltdowns the hallowed turf of Augusta has ever witnessed. Having started the day with a four stroke lead, McIlroy carded a final round 80 to finish in a share of 15th and ten strokes behind champion Charl Schwartzel.

2018 Open Championship

Three months later, McIlory had another great chance to get his hands on Major silverware at The Open Championship.

Despite starting the final round four shots off the lead, before falling further behind with two bogeys in his first eight holes, McIlory fought back superbly by picking up four shots in his next six holes to put him in a six-way tie for the lead.

But that would be as good as it got for the two-time DP World Tour Championship winner as he failed to pick up any more shots in his closing four holes on a windy day at Carnoustie Golf Club.

He would end up finishing in a share of second, two strokes behind Francesco Molinari, who hoisted the Claret Jug for the first time in his career.

2021 U.S. Open

After carding the lowest score of the third round with a 67 at Torrey Pines, McIlroy had got himself right in the mix ahead of the final round, sitting just two shots off the lead.

A birdie on the third saw him join the leaders for a short while, but his hopes of ending his Major drought came crashing down after making a double bogey six from the greenside bunker on 12, having just made bogey on 11.

Another dropped shot on 17 saw him fall further down the leaderboard, eventually finishing in a share of seventh and five strokes behind champion Jon Rahm, who finished birdie-birdie to seal a first Major victory.

2022 Masters Tournament

I was umming and ahing whether to include this one, but as he ended up finishing runner-up, it just about gets in.

The reason for debating this outing at Augusta National? Despite finishing second, McIlroy never really had any opportunity to win the tournament. He started the final round nine strokes behind Scottie Scheffler, but shot a spellbinding 64, which included a magical hole out from the bunker on the last, to surge up the leaderboard to second place.

Another close shave when all is said and done, but a victory in 2022 was never really on the cards.

2022 Open Championship

Arguably the most heart-breaking near-miss in a Major came just two years ago at the Home of Golf.

McIlroy looked at his brilliant best in the opening three rounds at St Andrews for the 150th edition of The Open Championship, which led to him securing a place in the last pairing of the final round alongside Victor Hovland, with the duo tied for the lead and four strokes ahead of the chasing pack.

A fairy-tale win was so close, yet so far at the same time. Having carded birdies galore for the first three days, McIlory mustered just two of them in his entire round and was hunted down by Cameron Smith, who made six birdies in his final nine holes to post an Open record-equalling score of -20 to deny the home favourite.

McIlory would eventually finish two shots back in third.

2023 U.S. Open

If the Open Championship near-miss was the most heart-breaking, the 2023 U.S. Open close shave was arguably his greatest chance of adding to his four Majors in the last ten years.

McIlroy came into the final round at Los Angeles Country Club just a shot behind Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler, but quickly joined the pair thanks to a birdie at the first.

Fowler quickly faded, leaving McIlroy and Clark, who had never finished higher than 75th in a Major, in a straight shootout for the title. But despite being the tournament outsider, Clark somehow managed to defy the odds and beat McIlroy by a stroke, with the four-time Dubai Desert Classic champion failing to add to his birdie at the first despite numerous chances.