Which golfer won his first career major at the 2011 US Open?

Rory McIlroy won his first career major at the 2011 U.S. Open. Played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, the championship became a breakthrough performance for the Northern Irish golfer.

McIlroy led from the opening round and finished at 16 under par, shooting 268 over 72 holes. He defeated Australia’s Jason Day by eight strokes, one of the largest winning margins in U.S. Open history. His score also set records for the lowest total and lowest score relative to par in the tournament at that time.

The victory was especially significant because McIlroy had suffered a painful collapse at the 2011 Masters two months earlier, when he lost a four-shot final-round lead. He responded decisively at Congressional, converting early-career promise into his first major title. He later won the PGA Championship, Open Championship, and Masters, completing the career Grand Slam in 2025.