Every time we think Rory McIlroy has reached his peak, he climbs up a new mountain. And this time, the summit he scaled was one that not even the likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus were able to scale.

“Rory McIlroy has at least one major top-10 in each of the last 17 years,” Golf Digest’s Jamie Kennedy informed on X. “No one else has a streak longer than 6.”

The jaw-dropping streak starts with his T10 at the 2009 U.S. Open. Then, he finished T3 in both the Open Championship and the PGA Championship in 2010. The Ulsterman won his maiden major in 2011. With rounds of 65-66-68-69, Rory McIlroy finished at 16 under par to win the U.S. Open.

2012 brought his second major title, the PGA Championship. Interestingly, that came in the middle of his ‘worst’ major stretch, spanning from the 2011 PGA Championship (T64) to the 2013 Open Championship (MC).

The Irishman bounced back at the PGA Championship in 2013 by finishing at T8. Then came his best year in terms of major wins. He got his hands on two major titles in 2014, the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. Besides that, he also finished T8 at the 2014 Masters. In the next three years, Rory McIlroy’s best major performances came in the 2015 Masters (solo 4), 2016 Open Championship (T5), and 2017 Open Championship (T4), respectively.

2018 brought another excellent year for the five-time major winner. He made it to the top 10 at the Masters and the Open Championship. Then, in 2019, he continued the streak by winning The Players Championship and finishing T8 in the PGA Championship and T9 at the US Open. The next year, McIlroy finished with a T5 at the Masters, a T8 at the US Open Championship, while the PGA Championship saw him drop to T33.

2021’s list of Top-10 included just a T7 at the US Open. 2022, on the other hand, saw the Northern Irish player gain immense success with a T3 in The Open Championship, a T2 at the Masters, a T5 at the US Open, and a T8 at the PGA Championship. The next year also saw him have Top-10s in three majors, followed by just a T2 at the US Open last year.

However, eventually, his long wait to win the Masters and complete his career Grand Slam came earlier this year with the emotional victory at Augusta National. With this, he has made it to the top 10 in at least one major eve1nt for the past 17 years, and could probably continue to do so for many more.

McIlroy has recorded 32 top-10 finishes from 64 major appearances in his career. It is a 50% top-10 rate, which demonstrates remarkable consistency. This longevity and consistency set McIlroy apart from legends like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, and Phil Mickelson.

The 2025 Masters win might be among the best, but it was not the only good thing McIlroy achieved this season.

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Rory McIlroy’s achievements in 2025

One of the biggest moments for Rory McIlroy in 2025 would be wearing the iconic green jacket. He won the 2025 Masters and completed his career Grand Slam. Since 2011, McIlroy has had many close finishes at the Masters. And this time, too, he had to face Justin Rose in a playoff after the regulation rounds. However, he made it past the winning line this time.

Besides the 2025 Masters, the 2025 Ryder Cup was a cherry on top. The 2025 Masters champion also won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award for the second time. And to end it all, he surpassed his idol, Seve Ballesteros, by winning his 7th Race to Dubai title. He is now only one win shy of tying the all-time record of Colin Montgomerie, who has 8 Race to Dubai wins in his name.

McIlroy’s record run shows how steady and competitive he has remained through nearly two decades of major-championship pressure. With his 2025 achievements adding even more strength to his résumé, his standing in golf history looks stronger than ever.