section_path: Professional career/2015: Four-win season
section_name: 2015: Four-win season
paragraph_text: 2015: Four-win season
  
  In January, McIlroy finished runner-up for the fourth time of his career at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, one stroke behind Gary Stal. In his second tournament of the year, he won the European Tour's Omega Dubai Desert Classic for a second time. At 22-under-par, he matched the tournament's scoring record set by Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjørn. He missed the cut in his first start of the PGA Tour season at the Honda Classic. It was his first missed cut on the PGA Tour since the 2013 Open Championship, a streak of 22 consecutive events.
  
  At the 2015 Masters Tournament in April, McIlroy finished in solo-fourth place, a new-best career Masters finish. In May, he won the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play event held at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, defeating Gary Woodland in the final. This was his second World Golf Championship and his tenth PGA tour title. Later in May, while playing in the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy shot a course-record 61 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He went on to win the championship for a second time, by seven strokes with a tournament record score of 21-under 267.
  
  A week prior to the 2015 Open Championship in July, McIlroy ruptured his left anterior talofibular ligament while playing soccer. This led to him withdrawing from the Open Championship and the subsequent 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, both tournaments where he was the defending champion. He made his return at the 2015 PGA Championship, where he made the cut and finished in 17th place.
  
  Entering the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, McIlroy was leading the Race to Dubai standings. He posted a score of 21-under to win the tournament by one stroke from Andy Sullivan. This was his second victory in the lucrative year-end tournament and his third Race to Dubai title in four years.
  
  In January, McIlroy finished runner-up for the fourth time of his career at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, one stroke behind Gary Stal. In his second tournament of the year, he won the European Tour's Omega Dubai Desert Classic for a second time. At 22-under-par, he matched the tournament's scoring record set by Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjørn. He missed the cut in his first start of the PGA Tour season at the Honda Classic. It was his first missed cut on the PGA Tour since the 2013 Open Championship, a streak of 22 consecutive events.
  
  At the 2015 Masters Tournament in April, McIlroy finished in solo-fourth place, a new-best career Masters finish. In May, he won the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play event held at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, defeating Gary Woodland in the final. This was his second World Golf Championship and his tenth PGA tour title. Later in May, while playing in the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy shot a course-record 61 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He went on to win the championship for a second time, by seven strokes with a tournament record score of 21-under 267.
  
  A week prior to the 2015 Open Championship in July, McIlroy ruptured his left anterior talofibular ligament while playing soccer. This led to him withdrawing from the Open Championship and the subsequent 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, both tournaments where he was the defending champion. He made his return at the 2015 PGA Championship, where he made the cut and finished in 17th place.
  
  Entering the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, McIlroy was leading the Race to Dubai standings. He posted a score of 21-under to win the tournament by one stroke from Andy Sullivan. This was his second victory in the lucrative year-end tournament and his third Race to Dubai title in four years.