section_path: Professional career/2024: Four-win season, U.S. Open loss
section_name: 2024: Four-win season, U.S. Open loss
paragraph_text: 2024: Four-win season, U.S. Open loss
  
  McIlroy opened his season at the inaugural Dubai Invitational in January. He led by one shot with one hole remaining, before hitting his tee shot on the final hole into the water. He bogeyed the hole while Tommy Fleetwood made birdie to win by one. He defended the Hero Dubai Desert Classic the following week, his fourth win in the tournament overall. Trailing by 11 shots entering Saturday, he shot a nine-under 63 to propel him into contention before a final round two-under 70 gave him a one shot win over Adrian Meronk.
  
  After a tepid start to the season on the PGA Tour, including a T22 finish at the 2024 Masters Tournament, McIlroy won his first title of the season in April at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event where he competed alongside Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry. They won in a playoff over Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. This was McIlroy's 25th win on the PGA Tour. In his next start, McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship for the fourth time in his career. He closed with a 6-under 65, playing the final 11 holes in 6-under and won by five strokes over Xander Schauffele.
  
  During the 2024 U.S. Open, McIlroy entered the final round in second-place, three strokes behind the lead. He erased the deficit and had a two-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau with four holes to play, but bogeyed three of the final four holes, including missed putts from inside four feet on both the 16th and 18th holes, to finish one stroke behind DeChambeau. At the 2024 Open Championship, McIlroy shot 78-75 and missed the cut, extending his major championship drought to ten years.
  
  In September, after the Tour Championship, McIlroy turned his attention to the European Tour, recording back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Amgen Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, in which he lost in a playoff to Billy Horschel. In November, at the season's penultimate event, he finished tied-third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The following week, he won the DP World Tour Championship, also claiming the Race to Dubai title for the sixth time in his career.
  
  McIlroy opened his season at the inaugural Dubai Invitational in January. He led by one shot with one hole remaining, before hitting his tee shot on the final hole into the water. He bogeyed the hole while Tommy Fleetwood made birdie to win by one. He defended the Hero Dubai Desert Classic the following week, his fourth win in the tournament overall. Trailing by 11 shots entering Saturday, he shot a nine-under 63 to propel him into contention before a final round two-under 70 gave him a one shot win over Adrian Meronk.
  
  After a tepid start to the season on the PGA Tour, including a T22 finish at the 2024 Masters Tournament, McIlroy won his first title of the season in April at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event where he competed alongside Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry. They won in a playoff over Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. This was McIlroy's 25th win on the PGA Tour. In his next start, McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship for the fourth time in his career. He closed with a 6-under 65, playing the final 11 holes in 6-under and won by five strokes over Xander Schauffele.
  
  During the 2024 U.S. Open, McIlroy entered the final round in second-place, three strokes behind the lead. He erased the deficit and had a two-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau with four holes to play, but bogeyed three of the final four holes, including missed putts from inside four feet on both the 16th and 18th holes, to finish one stroke behind DeChambeau. At the 2024 Open Championship, McIlroy shot 78-75 and missed the cut, extending his major championship drought to ten years.
  
  In September, after the Tour Championship, McIlroy turned his attention to the European Tour, recording back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Amgen Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, in which he lost in a playoff to Billy Horschel. In November, at the season's penultimate event, he finished tied-third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The following week, he won the DP World Tour Championship, also claiming the Race to Dubai title for the sixth time in his career.