5 Epic Bounce Back Wins Rory McIlroy Will Draw On After US Open Agony

Make no mistake, Rory McIlroy faces the biggest mental test of his career when he returns to golf after his bitter US Open disappointment - but he's proven before that he has that ability to bounce back.

It's brilliance rather than resilience that McIlroy is largely known for on the golf course, with a game that few can match at his best.

You don't get 40 professional wins, four Majors, five Race To Dubai titles, three FedEx Cups and 122 weeks spent at World No.1 unless you have a special character to go along with a special talent.

While there's no doubting the Northern Irishman's talent, his character will be tested when he returns at the Scottish Open following the agony of those short missed putts at Pinehurst that cost him the US Open title.

But we've seen McIlroy show his toughness and come back from body blows before...

2011 - Dominant US Open win after Masters collapse

Still just 21, a young Rory McIlroy had The Masters at his mercy in 2011 when he started Sunday four shots in front and still led at the turn, only to collapse to an error-strewn round of 80.

The Green Jacket went to Charl Schwartzel and McIlroy had to face the music after finding cabins in the woods barely ever seen on TV at Augusta, hitting trees and missing putts around Amen Corner.

Such a disaster could have broken many a young golfer, but not McIlroy, who confidently claimed he'd have many more chances to win a Major - but the first came sooner than we thought.

Just a couple of months later, McIlroy rocked up to the US Open at Congressional and not only won the title but wiped the floor with the entire field, leading from start to finish to win by eight shots. Statement made.

2019 - Portrush tears to FedEx Cup glory

You can sometimes want things too much, try too hard, and it certainly seemed the case for McIlroy as The Open returned to his native Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951 with him in super form having won The Players Championship and Canadian Open.

Hopes were sky-high for McIlroy to win on home soil, but his challenge was over after his very first tee shot, which went OB left and led to an opening quadruple bogey in a first round of 79.

You could say he bounced back the very next day as he went on a glorious charge to shoot 65 with an unbelievable crowd following him - but it was not enough to make the cut and he was left in tears afterwards.

Mere mortals may have packed it in for the season after that, but just a month later McIlroy won the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta to claim a second FedEx Cup title and a then record $15m payout.

2021 - Ryder Cup woe to Vegas victory

There's no doubting McIlroy's passion for the game, which showed again at the delayed 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, as tears again flowed following Europe's humiliating 19-9 defeat.

McIlroy beat Xander Schauffele in the Sunday singles but was still inconsolable due to the manner of the defeat and feeling he'd let the team down with just one point out of four matches.

Redemption came in Rome of course, but before that, in his very next tournament McIlroy went up against plenty of those Americans again in front of a partisan Las Vegas crowd in the CJ Cup on the PGA Tour - and duly walked away with the title.

And he did it in style, shooting 62-66 on the weekend to beat Collin Morikawa by one and signal once again that you just can't keep a star like him down.

2022 - Open near miss to another FedEx Cup

McIlroy took some stick for playing it too safe on Open Championship Sunday at St Andrews when leading - even though he hit every green in regulation he was maybe not attacking as he could've been and the long putts failed to drop.

Cameron Smith won that Claret Jug though, let's be clear, but it was still another bitter pill to swallow, but again disappointment was brushed aside and just a month later he was tasting more glory.

Again it was in Atlanta as he won this third Tour Championship and third FedEx Cup title - banking $18m in the process - as he beat Scottie Scheffler and Sungjae Im by just a shot.

2023 - US Open blow to Scottish stripe show

The 2023 US Open was a tough one to sum up at LA Country Club as McIlroy finished just one agonising shot behind champion Wyndham Clark - when again he was criticised for not attacking enough.

He started Sunday one behind and shot 70, which is what Clark and third-placed Scottie Scheffler also shot - and McIlroy, playing in the penultimate group, was never ahead and in fact only level for a couple of holes.

McIlroy carded just one birdie though, on his opening hole, and when he bogeyed 14 and Clark followed with a birdie there was a three-shot gap that even allowed the American to make two bogeys and still win.

Never one to dwell on disappointment though, McIlroy flew to Scotland and on his second start since the US Open went and won the Scottish Open, playing one of the most brilliant 2-irons you'll see on the very last hole to pip Robert MacIntyre to the title.

None of these bumps in the road have been as big as what he suffered at Pinehurst, but he's shown plenty of times that he can respond - and he'll hope he can add another one to this list very soon.