World No.3 Rory McIlroy has graded his 2024 season 'a pass' but admitted the lack of a fifth Major championship still "stings."
The Northern Irishman came closest to adding another at the US Open, where costly mistakes with his putter - which has been outstanding for the majority of his other starts - late on saw him slip back and ultimately finish second to Bryson DeChambeau.
Otherwise, in the biggest events, McIlroy endured a mixed bag of results with a T22nd at The Masters preceding a T22nd at the PGA Championship and a missed cut at The Open Championship.
Still, no matter what happens at the DP World Tour Championship this week, the 35-year-old will definitely end the year with three victories and eight top-fives.
However, a player of McIlroy's calibre nearly always judges his season and career on wins alone. Although he is still proud of the number of chances he gave himself in 2024, it still slightly grates on the the four-time Major champion that he does not have another.
"I should be sitting here with a fifth major, that stings" 😔 Rory McIlroy says he'd give himself a B rating for his season but still rues missing out on winning the US Open ⛳pic.twitter.com/on5l5OCZ3bNovember 13, 2024
Assessing his year as whole, McIlroy said: "Yeah, incredibly consistent again. I think I've been really proud of that over the last few years.
"But then at the same time, you know, thinking about the ones that got away. I could be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I am not. So that stings and that's something that I have to come to terms with. But, at the same time, I've got plenty more opportunities in the future.
"I really just tried to focus on the positives this year of consistently performing at the highest level. You know, still having three wins with an opportunity to get a fourth here this week, to win another Race to Dubai title.
"Did I achieve every goal I set for myself this year? Probably not. But I still consider it a successful season."
And if he was to dish out a grade for himself, what might that be? McIlroy said: "It would be a pass. It wouldn't be passed with flying colors. Probably a B."
Despite triumphing three times and enjoying a very strong year otherwise, McIlroy admitted the gap between himself and the two Americans above him in the world rankings has potentially grown in 2024 as a result of Scottie Scheffler's eight-win campaign and Xander Schauffele's double Major term.
Nevertheless, one of Europe's greatest-ever golfers says he will be back more motivated than ever to join or surpass the elite duo in 2025.
McIlroy said: "You've got two guys at the top of the World Rankings down there winning two majors. You know, Scottie winning a Masters and a Players and the Olympics.
"They certainly separated themselves from the pack this year. I'm obviously very aware of that, and it only makes me more motivated to try to emulate what they did this year."
How exactly McIlroy does that will possibly depend on his new-look schedule. At the conclusion of the PGA Tour playoffs, the World No.3 explained he had "hit a bit of a wall" and was looking to trim a few events off his calendar next season.
And in an exclusive interview with the Telegraph's James Corrigan recently, McIlroy name-checked the tournaments he was unlikely to appear at - all of which were in America.
Speaking before the DP World Tour Championship, the five-time Race To Dubai champion reinforced his thoughts on the matter.
Outlining his possible 2025 schedule, McIlroy said: "I think it will look very similar going forward. Start in the Middle East in Dubai, and then I don't really play over here again until The Scottish Open. So you know, play that. That's a tournament that I've enjoyed playing the last few years, especially leading up to The Open Championship.
Rory’s driver range session in the heat 😮💨 #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/iIY94ddoMgNovember 12, 2024
"And then once the season in America is done, then come back over. The way the schedule is, Irish Open, Wentworth, Dunhill, these two events [playoffs]. Yeah, it's going to look very similar.
"If anything, the schedule will be reduced over in the States in terms of some of the tournaments I played this year that I typically don't play. But those are the ones that I would shave off."
McIlroy will tee off alongside his direct Race To Dubai rival, Thriston Lawrence in round one of the DP World Tour Championship as the Northern Irishman looks to cement a sixth season-long title while the South African hunts a first win of the season and a maiden Race To Dubai crown.
