Since then, he has become the Green Jacket nearly man, threatening to extend his wardrobe on the final day only to fall just short.
In his last 10 editions at Augusta, he boasts seven top-10 finishes and produced a stunning final-day surge to finish runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in 2022. But sandwiched either side of that are two missed cuts, last year's perhaps the more notable, McIlroy having begun the tournament as the standout favourite.
Looking at the numbers, it is Scheffler rather than McIlroy - and intriguingly they are paired together today-who is this week's man to beat.
In between winning in Dubai in January and finishing third in Texas last week, McIlroy's results of 66th, 24th, 21st, 21st and 19th are hardly indicators of a Masters champion-in-waiting.
And yet he has a growing belief an altered approach to the opening Major of the year could pay dividends. He is more golf-fit, having played more tournaments than he would usually at this time of the year. Plus, he is under the radar well, as much as one of the greatest to play the game can be.
Added to that, prior to Texas, he has sought out the expertise of swing coach Butch Harmon (right, this week), his offerings, according to the player, making him half-coach, half-psychologist.
Esta historia es de la edición April 11, 2024 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 11, 2024 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
England's Lionesses, The Next Gen
Why our Euros winners are now facing a fight for their futures
Check in for London's great hotel gold rush
Boom time for five-star establishments with a new wave of openings
A Kinder way of family hols - Forsthofgut, Austria
I first heard about Forsthofgut when having lunch with the impossibly glamorous Stéphanie Rist. As well as having worked closely with the doyenne of spas, Susanne Kaufmann, for over 10 years, she was also born and brought up in Austria's Vorarlberg.
Monica Galettion why home for her will always be the islands of Samoa
Immerse yourself in the clear waters, try a bowl of poke-and pack mosquito repellent, says the Masterchef judge
I don't care about the red carpet
Rejina Pyo dresses real women... and it's working
TfL Lost Property Office Stephenson Street, E16
SECRET SPOTS YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO DISCOVER
Will Labour help Londoners get on the ladder?
The young are hoping for a rabbit out of the hatin the Budget that will let them buy a home at last
'I feel so grateful that I knew a without world technology ...human connection was different back then'
Evgeny Lebedev speaks to DAME HELEN MIRREN about science, fashion and her faith in youth
Welcome to Arcosanti, the experimental desert city loved by Charli XCX
Forget Brat summer is this utopian citadel in Arizona the ultimate non-conformist destination?
Review Melania Trump - A glimpse into the world's most enigmatic woman
This unintentionally revealing memoir shows her political ambition matches her husband's