The one glaring stain was yet another close call at a major championship, this time at Pinehurst No. 2 at the U.S. Open. McIlroy controlled the tournament on the back nine on Sunday but bogeyed three of his final four holes to allow Bryson DeChambeau to swoop in and win his second major title (2020 U.S. Open, Winged Foot).

Rory McIlroy doesn’t have to look far for motivation for next year. All he has to do is glance up at the two players ahead of him in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Rory McIlroy won three times in 2024 and is on the brink of winning his third straight Race to Dubai title on the DP World Tour, yet admits there's tournaments this year he's still coming to terms with.

The World No.3 once again credited his own consistency after a year of several near-misses but admitted missing out on a fifth Major championship "stings"