It’s been more than a decade since the questions were asked about if Rory McIlroy could set the record for most majors won. Although he was dealing with the emotional toll of ending his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki, the Northern Irishman went on a tear the second half of 2014, winning both the Open and the PGA Championship to take his tally to four majors.

At the end of that season, the question was not whether McIlroy could win any more titles, but how many he would run off. Very few would have predicted he’d remain at four majors in 2025. Funny how golf goes.

The man who at one point had the golf world in the palm of his hand now hopes 2025 will bring an end to that major drought. If he wants that to end as soon as possible, that means winning at a venue that hasn’t been kind to him in the past.

Only 14 years ago, McIlroy was in line for his first major, with the lead after 63 holes. But a triple-bogey on the 10th hole ultimately led to a Sunday 80, dropping him to 15th place. While he would romp to a win at the very next major – the US Open at Congressional – he still has yet to don a green jacket, though he was runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in 2022.

McIlroy has also been largely regarded as the PGA Tour’s white knight in the midst of the LIV Golf controversy. In last year’s US Open at Pinehurst, the cameras cutting between the triumphant champion Bryson DeChambeau and the dejected runner-up McIlroy, would be interpreted by many as a sort of “tsk-tsk” moment that the upstart league is here to stay.

But Rory has started the 2025 season with some optimism, as evidenced by his wins at Pebble Beach in February and at the Players in March. He can also take encouragement from the success of the new TGL, which is backed by McIlroy and Tiger Woods among others.

There is reason to believe McIlroy has plenty of time to write a favorable new chapter in his legacy. But a win at Augusta National – whether it’s this year or in the future – is a must to get that trajectory back on track.