McIlroy says Masters glory, Olympic medal and Ryder Cup success would cap career

McIlroy endured a frustrating 2024 despite winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Wells Fargo Championship for the fourth time each, as well as the DP World Tour Championship for a third time.

His wait for a fifth major triumph continued as he fell agonisingly short at the U.S. Open in June, missing two simple putts in the final three holes to finish one shot behind champion Bryson DeChambeau.

The Northern Irishman was also two shots away from earning a medal at the Olympic Games, finishing tied for fifth in Paris alongside Jon Rahm.

McIlroy, who has won 26 PGA events, now has just three remaining goals to tick off in his career, and he will have the opportunity to accomplish two of them in 2025.

"Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career," McIlroy told BBC Sport.

"I've realised that all I can control is myself. What's right for me right now is to fully focus on myself and to get the best out of myself and get back to winning the biggest tournaments in the world.

"I've been agonisingly close for the past few years without being able to get it done, and that that is the main focus of this year."

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McIlroy has represented Europe at seven Ryder Cups, winning on five occasions, including one away triumph at Medinah Country Club in 2012.

He will look to replicate that success as part of Luke Donald's team at Bethpage, with the 2025 edition getting under way on September 26.

Before then, McIlroy will play a major championship on home soil, with The Open returning to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for the first time since 2019 in July.

McIlroy, who missed the cut when the tournament was last played in his home country, said: "I feel like I'm getting a better sense of how I need to approach the week to play well at home with those expectations.

"I feel like I've always struggled to play at home, none more so than at Portrush in 2019.

"But I'm slowly starting to learn how to overcome the mental fatigue of the week and the expectations and everything else, and try to protect myself in my own little cocoon and go about my business.

"So, you know, all those experiences that I've had will hopefully stand me in good stead for Portrush as well. I need to turn the near misses into positives rather than negatives."