A History Of Rory McIlroy's 54-Hole Leads In Majors

Rory McIlroy came back to field with a 73 on Saturday at the 2026 Masters to lose his six-stroke advantage, but he still enters the final round with the lead.

The defending champion plays alongside Cameron Young in the final pairing, with both men locked at 11-under-par. There are a total of eight players within four strokes in what is set to be a thrilling last day.

If he wants to win, he is going to have to play well. It's as simple as that.

"There's a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow. I'm still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can't forget that, but I do know I'm going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win" he said.

While he did lose his big margin, he is still leading heading into Sunday, and it is his eighth 54-hole solo- or co-lead at a Major.

McIlroy has an impressive record when holding the 54-hole lead in Majors throughout his career, with a record of five wins from seven.

He has actually only won his Majors after leading with 18 holes to play - he has never come from behind to win.

Here's a look at the 54-hole leads McIlroy has had in Majors through the years, starting with a painful one...

2011 Masters: Shot 80, finished T15

At just 21, McIlroy looked set to launch his career in a fast way after taking a four-stroke lead into Sunday at Augusta National.

He started a little shaky but was just one-over-par for his front nine to hold on to his lead before disaster struck on what is now an infamous back nine, starting with a triple-bogey at the 10th after a hooked drive kicked further left up towards the member cabins.

It went from back to worse, as a bogey followed at the 11th before he four-putted the 12th to all-but end his hopes of a maiden Major triumph.

His heartbreak was confirmed when he tapped in for 80 to finish ten strokes behind Charl Schwartzel, who finished with four consecutive birdies to win the Green Jacket.

2011 US Open: Shot 69, won by eight strokes

Just two months on from his Augusta heartbreak, McIlroy once again found himself with a big lead heading into a Major final round.

He was a remarkable eight-strokes clear of the field at Congressional in the US Open and went on to right the wrongs of Augusta for an easy victory to call himself a deserving Major champion.

The young Northern Irishman set the US Open 72-hole scoring record of 268 after setting the largest 36- and 54-hole leads in history. He also became the first man to reach 17-under-par in a US Open.

What a bounce back.

2012 PGA Championship: Shot 66, won by eight strokes

McIlroy didn't have to wait too long for another 54-hole Major lead, coming at Kiawah Island just over 12 months later at the PGA Championship.

He entered the final round three strokes clear of Carl Pettersen and strode home with an assured 66 to win by eight strokes and set the championship's record winning margin.

2014 Open: Shot 71, won by two strokes

McIlroy won his third Major title and first Open Championship in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.

He led Rickie Fowler by six strokes heading into Sunday and shot a 71 to win by a narrow two-stroke margin.

He became the first European to win three different Majors and joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only men to win three Majors under the age of 25.

Just one more to complete the career grand slam, The Masters. That wouldn't take long, right?

2014 PGA Championship: Shot 71, won by two strokes

Just a month later, McIlroy took his tally to four after winning back-to-back Majors.

The Northern Irishman became a two-time PGA Champion two years after his first, when he held off the likes of Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson in an entertaining final day at Valhalla.

He was on top of the world at this point and went on to win his third Ryder Cup the following month at Gleneagles. He also won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and BMW PGA Championship in what was undoubtedly one of the greatest years of his career.

Little did he, or we, know he wouldn't win another Major until 2025.

2022 Open: Shot 70, lost by two strokes (3rd)

McIlroy, now 33, looked set to end his long Major drought at St Andrews in the 150th Open Championship - but it was a disappointing Sunday.

He co-led with Viktor Hovland heading into the final round, with both men tied at 16-under-par, and they each struggled on the last day.

McIlroy carded a two-under-par 70 in calm conditions, but was overtaken by the charging Cameron Smith who shot a brilliant eight-under-par 64. Cameron Young also overtook McIlroy with a 65, leaving the Northern Irishman in third-place and devastated.

2025 Masters: Shot 73, won in playoff

When he won The Open in 2014, little did he know it would take him 11 Masters to finally complete the career grand slam.

He led Bryson DeChambeau by two strokes heading into the final round at Augusta National and had lost his lead by the 3rd tee, and a rollercoaster Sunday meant he found himself in a playoff against his Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose.

He birdied the first-extra hole for a historic and emotional victory, which completed the career slam, made him a five-time Major champion and saw him win a Major for the first time in almost 11 years.

2026 Masters: Tied at -11 with Cameron Young

With the weight of the career grand slam off his shoulders, McIlroy came out of the blocks fast at the 2026 Masters to shoot 67-65 and open up a six-stroke lead after 36 holes, the largest in Masters history.

He looked assured and freed up, and it got us thinking he may well win many more Green Jackets over the coming years. And we're still thinking that.

Saturday didn't go as planned, though, as he came back to the field with a one-over-par 73 to be caught at the top by Cameron Young, who shot an exceptional 65.

A big final round is coming up.

If he does go on to win, he would become only the fourth man in history to successfully defend The Masters, and he would take his Major tally to six.