It has been a tough few years for Rory McIlroy in the world of golf.
The Northern Irishman is close to reaching a ten-year anniversary since his last major win, but has the opportunity to end this barren run when in action at the 2023 Open Championship later this month.
Returning to Royal Liverpool Golf Club is likely to bring back good memories for McIlroy, who was victorious when the Open was last staged in Hoylake back in 2014. Holding off fierce competition from Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia (-15), the 34-year-old claimed top spot with an impressive score of -17 after four rounds.
One month after his Open Championship triumph, McIlroy secured another major after pipping Phil Mickleson at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. This marked the fourth major of McIlroy's career, having previously won the PGA Championship in 2012 and the 2011 US Open.
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Nine years on from his last major, McIlroy is yet to add to this collection but has come close on several occasions to preventing this unwanted wait for silverware. He finished in the top ten at the Masters in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and finished as runner-up in last year's edition. The 2023 Masters was less kind to the world No.3-ranked golfer, who failed to make the cut despite being among the favourites to be wearing the green jacket come Sunday evening.
A similar pattern has followed in his recent entries at the US Open, ending up in the top ten in each of the last five years. His most recent outing at the tournament saw him agonisingly miss out on becoming champion after finishing one stroke behind Wyndham Clark.
Since tasting success at the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, his highest finish on the leaderboard in the following years was T7 in this year's event won by Brooks Koepka. The Open is the major McIlroy has been nearest to reclaiming, finishing T5, T4, 3 and T2 in recent times.
Victories on the PGA Tour and European Tour have been forthcoming, acting as some form of consolation, though the pressure is continuing to grow on McIlroy after years of near misses. Making clear his desire to put a stop to his near decade-long pursuit of a fifth major, he told reporters last month: "No one wants to win another major - no one wants me to win another major more than I do. The desire is obviously there. I've been trying and I've come close over the past nine years or whatever it is, and I keep coming back."
"I feel like I've showed a lot of resilience in my career, a lot of ups and downs, and I keep coming back. And whether that means that I get rewarded or I get punched in the gut or whatever it is, I'll always keep coming back."
