section_path: Professional career/2011: Masters collapse, U.S. Open breakthrough
section_name: 2011: Masters collapse, U.S. Open breakthrough
paragraph_text: 2011: Masters collapse, U.S. Open breakthrough
  
  In his first start of the year, McIlroy finished runner-up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January, eight strokes behind Martin Kaymer. In April, McIlroy shot a bogey-free 65 in the first round of the 2011 Masters Tournament to lead the field. This made him the youngest player at the time ever to hold the first-round lead at the Masters. He then shot rounds of 69 and 70, giving him a four-stroke lead after 54 holes. In the final round, McIlroy shot an 8-over-par 80, including a triple bogey on the 10th and double bogey on the 12th hole. He ultimately finished in a tie for 15th, 10 strokes behind winner Charl Schwartzel.
  
  In his next major start, at the 2011 U.S. Open held at Congressional Country Club in June, McIlroy again shot a bogey-free 65 to take the first-round lead. He shot 66 in the second round to set a record for the lowest 36-hole total in U.S. Open history (131, −11). He posted 68 in third round, to also set the 54-hole scoring record at 199 (−14). In doing so, he built an eight-stroke lead going into the final round. McIlroy shot a final round of 69 to earn his first major championship title, eight strokes ahead of runner-up Jason Day. McIlroy's 72-hole aggregate score of 268 (−16) was a new U.S. Open record, breaking the previous record of 272 jointly held by Jack Nicklaus (1980), Lee Janzen (1993), Tiger Woods (2000) and Jim Furyk (2003). The 16-under in relation to par beat Tiger Woods' 12-under at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 2000. At age 22, McIlroy also became the youngest winner since Bobby Jones in 1923 U.S. Open, and the victory lifted him to a new career-high fourth in the OWGR.
  
  At the 2011 Open Championship in July, he struggled in the tough weather conditions and finished in tied-25th place. He was also a non-factor at the 2011 PGA Championship, where he injured his wrist in the first round after attempting to play a stroke from behind a tree root. In October, McIlroy won the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters in a playoff against Anthony Kim, earning the $2 million first-place prize, the highest in golf at that time. In December, he won the UBS Hong Kong Open by two strokes.
  
  In his first start of the year, McIlroy finished runner-up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January, eight strokes behind Martin Kaymer. In April, McIlroy shot a bogey-free 65 in the first round of the 2011 Masters Tournament to lead the field. This made him the youngest player at the time ever to hold the first-round lead at the Masters. He then shot rounds of 69 and 70, giving him a four-stroke lead after 54 holes. In the final round, McIlroy shot an 8-over-par 80, including a triple bogey on the 10th and double bogey on the 12th hole. He ultimately finished in a tie for 15th, 10 strokes behind winner Charl Schwartzel.
  
  In his next major start, at the 2011 U.S. Open held at Congressional Country Club in June, McIlroy again shot a bogey-free 65 to take the first-round lead. He shot 66 in the second round to set a record for the lowest 36-hole total in U.S. Open history (131, −11). He posted 68 in third round, to also set the 54-hole scoring record at 199 (−14). In doing so, he built an eight-stroke lead going into the final round. McIlroy shot a final round of 69 to earn his first major championship title, eight strokes ahead of runner-up Jason Day. McIlroy's 72-hole aggregate score of 268 (−16) was a new U.S. Open record, breaking the previous record of 272 jointly held by Jack Nicklaus (1980), Lee Janzen (1993), Tiger Woods (2000) and Jim Furyk (2003). The 16-under in relation to par beat Tiger Woods' 12-under at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 2000. At age 22, McIlroy also became the youngest winner since Bobby Jones in 1923 U.S. Open, and the victory lifted him to a new career-high fourth in the OWGR.
  
  At the 2011 Open Championship in July, he struggled in the tough weather conditions and finished in tied-25th place. He was also a non-factor at the 2011 PGA Championship, where he injured his wrist in the first round after attempting to play a stroke from behind a tree root. In October, McIlroy won the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters in a playoff against Anthony Kim, earning the $2 million first-place prize, the highest in golf at that time. In December, he won the UBS Hong Kong Open by two strokes.