Every spring, Augusta National offers him a fresh canvas, but bogeys finds a way to stain it. “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,” reasoned McIlroy after the 2023 loss. After the blunder at Pinehurst No. 2 during  last year’s U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy was labelled the pro who ‘almost’ always wins majors. However, it’s not just this one that brings back memories — the Masters stirs up a similar kind of heartache. Heading ahead, he is playing his 17th Masters.

While vying for the first green jacket and a major win over the decade, the Irishman is off to a rough start as he shot bogeys on 15 and 17th in the first round of the Masters this year. Another under-par-less round for a golfer who has more top-10 finishes in those than other golfers. This might be the reason for tension among the fans, considering the golfer’s history with the Masters. With these setbacks, Rory has dropped down from +650 in the odds leaderboard to +1200 after round 1.

During the 2021 Masters, McIlroy recorded a 76 (+4) in the opening round, one of his worst Masters starts up to that point, and unfortunately, shaky starts have followed him like bad weather forecasts at Augusta National this year.

1) The 2011 Masters setback

Back in 2011, Rory McIlroy was just 21 years old, brewing with talent. He was also considered one of the best young players in the world. Looking to win his first major, the Irishman held a four-stroke lead heading into the final round at Augusta National. While the green jacket was looking very likely, he crumbled. Though starting with a bogey on the opening hole, he was in the lead.

However, things took a devastating turn for him on the back nine. He shot an 80, which included a triple bogey on the 10th hole after his tee shot veered so far left it ended up near the cottages. Later, he shot a bogey on the 11th, followed by a frustrating four-putt double bogey on the 12th. When his tee shot on the 13th landed in the creek, he lowered his head, seemingly on the brink of tears. So close! Later in 2014, the golfer recounted speaking to his mother by phone the next day, expressing, “That’s probably the only time I’ve cried over golf.” However, he was left without resentment, calling it a pivotal learning experience that shaped his character and career.

2) Change of fate during the 2016 Masters of Rory McIlroy

Five years after the blunder in 2011, Rory McIlroy had a promising start in the first round. He carded 4 birdies and an eagle and finished with 70 in the first round. Moving to the second round, the Irishman fired two birdies back to back on the 2nd and 3rd holes. However, that was soon neutralized as he carded a double bogey on the 4th and a bogey on the 5th.

Later, he recovered with birdies on the 15th and 16th and finished with a 71 in the second round. While many thought that he might come back with a low score in the third round, it didn’t happen. Instead, things went the opposite way. Rory McIlroy fired three bogeys and a double bogey to end up with a 77. Although he tried to climb to the top again with seven birdies in the final round, his third-round blunder and six bogeys on Sunday didn’t let him.

3) A promising start in 2018, but things went awry

Two years after that, in 2018, Rory McIlroy showed another hopeful start to the fans. He started with a lower score of 69. However, three bogeys in the second round forced him to finish with a 71. The third round, however, was incredible. The Irishman went on to have a bogey-free round. Not only that, he even shot an eagle and five birdies to finish with a lower score of 65. That’s right; it was even better than his first round. It was the round that lit fire in the fans’ eyes as they finally hoped to see McIlroy in the green jacket.

Even in the final round, he started good and shot a birdie on the 2nd. However, after he carded a bogey just after it on the 3rd, he started to lose the momentum and missed way too many fairways, greens, and putts. Eventually, he finished with a 74 because of five unfortunate bogeys in the final round and finished the tournament at T5, six strokes behind the winner, Patrick Reed. Later, Butch Harmon talked about this defeat on U.K.’s Sky Sports coverage, saying, “Really surprised by Rory’s play today. I thought he’d do better. I thought this was his event to go take.” We all thought the same, Harmon.

Witnessing these moments in the history of Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of the green jacket, do you think he can still make a comeback? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!