After a disappointing 2019 in terms of winning majors, Rory McIlroy had something to smile about recently after he netted a cool £12m by winning the FedEx Cup. Not that money matters to Rory, of course. He has plenty of it. It was his second FedEx Cup win, but he’s already looking forward and plotting his assault on the four majors in 2020.
Using the Open Championship as an example next year, he’s priced up as one of the early favourites at around 12/1 with most bookies to win it. There are some good resources to check out for the best golf betting sites in the UK. Make sure you get the best odds available on McIlroy if you’re going to back him.
Let’s take a look at each one and Rory’s chances of landing another major title next season.
US Masters
Rory McIlroy was one of the pre-tournament favourites heading into this one as not only had he finished in the top 10 of the previous five Masters tournaments. He had also put together seven consecutive top 10 finishes before Augusta. Sadly, on this occasion, the Northern Irishman could only manage 21st place. After rounds of 73, 71 and 71, he finished his final round in 68, which just showed what could have been had he managed to keep those bogeys at bay in the first two rounds.
Form will play some part heading into the event in 2020, but as long as Rory is putting well at the time, he has a very good chance. Discount him at your peril.
USPGA
Brooks Koepka blew the field away in the first two rounds, and Rory McIlroy just couldn’t match him. McIlroy finished on +1 for the tournament, a whopping nine shots behind Koepka but in a tie for eighth. That proved just how well the American performed. Dustin Johnson was close behind on six under, but Rory was never really in contention after a 72 and a 71 on the first two days.
A past champion. An above average performance in 2019. Will we see another championship performance from Rory at Harding Park in 2020? He played there once back in 2015 in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play. How did he do? He won it.
US Open
Again, Rory came into this as a past champion, but he fell short in 2019 and finished tied for ninth on five under par. Gary Woodland’s round of 65 on the Friday set him up for victory after a solid 69 on the final day. It was a solid effort from Rory, but he just wasn’t clinical enough and he didn’t sink enough birdies to stay in contention. Two final round double bogeys on two and 16 didn’t help matters either.
As a winner of this major, he knows what he needs to do, and good preparation ahead of the 2020 event at Winged Foot should see him battling it out for the title once more.
Open Championship
This was a major to forget for Rory McIlroy. He shot an eight over par 79 in the first round, which ruined his chances before that really even began. He staged an incredible comeback in the second round, but he still missed the cut by one stroke. It was the first time he’d missed the cut of this major since 2013. It’s a case of forgetting about the 2019 event and going again in 2020.
There’s also the small matter of the Ryder Cup after the final major of next season too. If McIlroy can build up some sort of form and do well at Royal St George’s in July next year, that will bode well for Europe’s chances at Whistling Straits in September.
How Many Majors for Rory?
It’s four majors and counting for the Northern Irishman but winning another one is never a given in this sort. The one that’s eluded him so far in his career is the Masters. Fourth in 2015 is his best result to date, so he’ll no doubt be striving to win that one at all costs. Some would say that after winning the PGA Championship twice already, a third should be easier than any of the other majors. It remains to be seen if Rory McIlroy will win any of them next year, but what is for certain is that he’ll be amongst the pre-tournament favourites in every single one of them.