Rory McIlroy's 'reboot' led to two Masters. Maybe he'll get 'more of these majors'

TL;DR

Rory McIlroy's recent 'reboot' in technique has led to two Masters victories in three years. He reflects positively on his recent successes, including a State Dinner appearance and a film cameo.

Key points

Rory McIlroy has won two Masters championships.
He expressed frustration with his technique three years ago.
McIlroy believes a complete reboot was necessary for improvement.
He recently attended a State Dinner at the White House.
McIlroy made a cameo in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Mentioned in this story

White House

The Devil Wears Prada 2Rory McIlroyMasters

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Three years ago at the PGA Championship, the Netflix cameras were rolling inside the Oak Hill Country Club locker room for an episode of the documentary “Full Swing” as he detailed his frustration after a T-7 finish.

“My technique is nowhere near as good as it used to be,” Rory McIlroy complained. "I almost feel like I want to do a complete reboot. It's the only way I feel like I'm going to break through. ... It feels so far away.”

Three years and two Masters victories later, McIlroy was asked on Wednesday during a press conference ahead of the 108th PGA Championship how the last month has been. That stretch included, of course, his repeat at Augusta National, but also being a guest at a State Dinner at the White House and a cameo with his wife, Erica, in The Devil Wears Prada 2. McIlroy smiled and said, “Pretty good.”

Rory McIlroy at the 2026 Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

Yes, life is good these days for McIlroy, who celebrated his 37th birthday last week. It’s a stark difference from how he viewed his game three years ago. That 'come-to-Jesus-moment' in the Oak Hill locker room after another good-but-not-good-enough performance proved to be pivotal in the turnaround.

“I felt like it was super easy for me to finish in the top 10 at a major but impossible to win. That juxtaposition of how do I find it so easy to get close but impossible to get over the line?” he tells Golfweek. “It was peak frustration.”

More: Rory McIlroy 'glad' he was wrong about LIV Golf, in a 'precarious spot'

McIlroy conceded he needed to figure out a few technical issues with his swing, especially when facing left pin positions. He suffered more heartbreak at the very next major, the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and then the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. He could tell he was getting a little closer but that only did so much to soothe the pain.

“Anyone in the history of the game apart from Tiger and Jack, there’s this trend of thirds and seconds and then boom, you win. It happened with Xander, it happened with Scottie, it happened with Jon. That’s how it goes," McIlroy said. "That’s the blueprint for a lot of guys getting over the line at the majors.”