Rory Daniel McIlroy (born 4 May 1989) is a
professional golfer
A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
from
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
who is a member of both the
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
and
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
s. He is the current
world number one in the
Official World Golf Ranking
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986.
The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolli ...
, and has spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career. He is a four-time
major champion, winning the
2011 U.S. Open,
2012 PGA Championship,
2014 Open Championship and
2014 PGA Championship. Along with
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
and
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
, he is one of three players to win four majors by the age of 25.
McIlroy had a successful amateur career, topping the
World Amateur Golf Ranking The World Amateur Golf Ranking for men was introduced by The R&A, the governing body of the sport of golf outside the United States and Mexico, on 23 January 2007. It is based on the results of over 2,600 amateur tournaments per year (and amateurs p ...
for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007. Later that year, he turned professional and soon established himself on the
European Tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
. He had his first win on the European Tour in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
and on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
in
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
. In
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, at the age of 22, he became the youngest player ever to reach €10 million in career earnings on the European Tour. In
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, he became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. At the
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named af ...
, he played for Europe against the United States in
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
and
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, with Europe winning in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018. For his individual and team achievements, he has twice been named
RTÉ Sports Person of the Year
The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sport, RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have ach ...
, in 2011 and 2014.
Early life, family, and early golf playing
Mcllroy was born on 4 May 1989 in
Holywood
Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to:
Places
* Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland
** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland
** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland)
* ...
, County Down, Northern Ireland, as the only child of Rosie McDonald and Gerry McIlroy. He attended St. Patrick's Primary School and then
Sullivan Upper School
Sullivan Upper School is a mixed non- denominational voluntary grammar school in Holywood, Northern Ireland, and has approximately 1,100 enrolled pupils. The school motto is ', Irish for "with the gentle hand foremost".
History
Sullivan Low ...
.
![Rory McIlroy and father](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Rory_McIlroy_and_father.jpg)
He was introduced to golf at an exceptionally young age by his father, who coached him. Gerry McIlroy is a fine golfer himself, who once played at a
scratch handicap level. He asked his father virtually every day to take him to Holywood Golf Club. Family lore relates that he received a new golf club as a present, being shown the correct grip by his father, then taking the club to bed with him that night, with his hands holding the club properly. McIlroy joined Holywood Golf Club and became the youngest member at the club at age seven. A video on golf technique produced by champion
Nick Faldo
Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo, (born 18 July 1957) is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator. A top player of his era, renowned for his dedication to the game, he was ranked No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking for ...
was his early favourite.
McIlroy's father held down several jobs to earn additional income for his son's golf development. His mother worked extra shifts at the local
3M plant.
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...
television broadcast of 2011 U.S. Open, 18–19 June 2011 McIlroy's first significant international victory came in the World Championship for the 9–10 age group bracket at the
Doral Golf Resort & Spa in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. He learned his early golf at the Holywood Golf Club, which he still retains as his home course. He started his early training with
Michael Bannon
Michael Bannon is a golf coach from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is va ...
, previously the Golf Professional of Holywood Golf Club, who is also his current coach and dedicated
mentor
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
.
Amateur career
At the age of 15, McIlroy was a member of the Irish team at the 2004
European Boys' Team Championship
The European Boys' Team Championship (Jean-Louis Dupont Trophy) is a European amateur team golf championship for men up to 18 organized by the European Golf Association. The inaugural event was held in 1980 and it has been played annually since.
...
and of Europe's winning 2004
Junior Ryder Cup team against United States on foreign soil in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
.
In 2005, he became the youngest-ever winner of both the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship. Mcllroy retained the West of Ireland Championship in 2006 and followed that up with back-to-back wins at the Irish Close Championship.
In late 2004, at age 15, he signed a letter of intent to play collegiate golf at
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Tr ...
, but after his wins in 2005, he decided to forgo the golf scholarship and continue to play amateur golf in Europe. In July 2005, at age 16, McIlroy shot a new competitive course record score of 61 on the Dunluce links of
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The 36-hole club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links (the championship course) and the Valley Links. The former is one of the courses on the rota of the Ope ...
.
At 16 years old, he was part of the combined Northern Ireland and
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
team at the
2005 European Amateur Team Championship. However, team Ireland did not make it to the quarter-finals. Two years later, Ireland won the
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
at
Western Gailes Golf Club in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, with McIlroy on the team again, this time with 20-year-old future Open champion
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry (born 2 April 1987) is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. His notable achievements include winning the 2019 Open Championship, the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, and the 2015 WGC-Bridg ...
as one of his teammates and with McIlroy as tied individual leader in the initial stroke-play rounds. It was Ireland's first title in the
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
since
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
.
In August 2006, he won the
European Amateur
The European Amateur Championship is an annual amateur golf tournament played at various locations throughout Europe. It is organized by the European Golf Association and was one of the "Elite" tournaments recognized by the World Amateur Golf Rank ...
at Biella Golf Club, near
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy, with a score of 274. In October 2006, McIlroy represented Ireland in the
Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy (World Men's Amateur Team Championships) is the biennial World Amateur Team Championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. Since the tournament was first played in 1958, it is named after Dwight D. Eisen ...
, which is the Amateur World Team Championship. On 6 February 2007, he became the second man to top the
World Amateur Golf Ranking The World Amateur Golf Ranking for men was introduced by The R&A, the governing body of the sport of golf outside the United States and Mexico, on 23 January 2007. It is based on the results of over 2,600 amateur tournaments per year (and amateurs p ...
, though he lost the top spot after just one week.
McIlroy shot a bogey-free opening round of 3-under-par 68 at the
2007 Open Championship at
Carnoustie
Carnoustie (; sco, Carnoustie, gd, Càrn Ùstaidh) is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of 11,3 ...
, his first major championship entry. He shot +5 overall and was the highest finishing amateur, winning the silver medal.
McIlroy was part of the Great Britain & Ireland team at the
2007 Walker Cup, held at the
Royal County Down Golf Club
Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. It opened on 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Ann ...
. On the first day of the event he was paired with Jonathan Caldwell for morning foursomes, and the match was halved. In the afternoon he faced
Billy Horschel
William John Horschel (born December 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.
Early years and amateur career
Horschel was born and raised in Grant, Florida. He attended Bayside High School in neighborin ...
in singles, but Horschel won 1 up. On the second day McIlroy and Caldwell lost in morning foursomes by the score of 2 & 1. In the afternoon he faced Horschel in singles again, and this time he won by the score of 1 up. McIlroy's overall record was (1–2–1) in Win–loss–tie format. The United States came out victorious by a score of 12½ to 11½.
McIlroy made his first appearance in a
European Tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
event a few days after turning 16, when he took part in the 2005
British Masters
The Betfred British Masters is a professional golf tournament. It was founded in 1946 as the Dunlop Masters and was held every year up to 2008, except for 1984. Dunlop's sponsorship ended in 1982, and the name sponsor changed frequently therea ...
. He made the cut on the European Tour for the first time as a 17-year-old at the 2007
Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Go ...
, where he had to forego prize money of over €7,600 due to his amateur status. At the 2007
Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
, held at
Carnoustie
Carnoustie (; sco, Carnoustie, gd, Càrn Ùstaidh) is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of 11,3 ...
, McIlroy was awarded
The Silver Medal as the leading amateur.
Professional career
2007
McIlroy turned professional on 18 September 2007, the day before the
Quinn Direct British Masters. He signed with
International Sports Management. At the
Quinn Direct British Masters, McIlroy shot 290 (+2), which put him in a tie for 42nd place. He finished in 3rd place at the
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October. The next week, he secured his card for 2008 by finishing in a tie for 4th place at the
Open de Madrid Valle Romano.
He became the youngest Affiliate Member in the history of The European Tour to earn a tour card. On the 2007 European Tour season, he earned €277,255 and finished in 95th place on the Order of Merit list. He was the highest ranked associate member.
2008
Before his season started,
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
invited McIlroy to play in the 2007
Target World Challenge, held in December, and the
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
AT&T National
The National, originally titled for sponsorship reasons as the AT&T National and later as the Quicken Loans National, was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2018. It was hosted by Tiger Woods and benefited the Tiger Woods ...
, held in July. McIlroy declined the invitation, preferring to play the
European Open the week of the AT&T National.
McIlroy started his
2008 European Tour season at the
UBS Hong Kong Open
UBS Group AG is a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Co-headquartered in the cities of Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as the largest ...
. He did not make the one-under cut. He entered the top 200 of the
Official World Golf Ranking
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986.
The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolli ...
for the first time on 27 January 2008. On 7 September 2008, McIlroy took a four-stroke lead into the final round of the
Omega European Masters
The Omega European Masters is the Swiss stop on professional men's golf's European Tour, and in 2009 it became the first event in Europe to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Founded as the Swiss Open in 1923, the tournament was prefixed with E ...
in
Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland, but finished in a tie for first place with Frenchman
Jean-François Lucquin
Jean-François "Jeff" Lucquin (born 25 December 1978) is a French professional golfer.
Having played on the Challenge Tour for four seasons, Lucquin finally gained his place on the European Tour for 2003 by finishing second in the 2002 Challenge ...
and lost in a play-off.
McIlroy finished the European Tour season in November 2008 with six top-10 placements and ranked 79th in the World Golf Ranking.
2009
After finishing second in the
UBS Hong Kong Open
UBS Group AG is a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Co-headquartered in the cities of Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as the largest ...
in November 2008, McIlroy attained his highest
world ranking
A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second.
In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
position of 50. He finished the 2008 calendar year at 39th in the world rankings after finishing joint 3rd in the
South African Open. This earned him an invitation to the
2009 Masters Tournament. His first professional win came at age 19 when he won the
Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Go ...
on 1 February 2009, this win took him to 16th in the world rankings.
In the
2009 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, McIlroy reached the quarterfinals. In the first round he defeated
Louis Oosthuizen
Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen (; born 1982) is a South African professional golfer who won the 2010 Open Championship. He has finished runner-up in all four major championships: the 2012 Masters Tournament, the 2015 and 2021 U.S. Op ...
2 & 1, in the second round he beat
Hunter Mahan
Hunter Myles Mahan (born May 17, 1982) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is a winner of two World Golf Championship events, the 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. ...
1-up, and in the third round he beat
Tim Clark, 4 & 3. He lost to
Geoff Ogilvy
Geoff Charles Ogilvy (born 11 June 1977) is an Australian professional golfer. He won the 2006 U.S. Open and has also won three World Golf Championships.
Professional career
Ogilvy was born in Adelaide, South Australia to an English-born fath ...
, who won the tournament, in the quarterfinals 2 & 1. McIlroy continued to play on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
until May. He finished tied for 13th at the
Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in south Florida. It was founded in 1972 as Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic, and prior to a schedule change in 2021 was frequently the first of the Florida events in late winter ...
, tied for 20th at the
WGC-CA Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under sp ...
and tied for 19th at the
Shell Houston Open
The Cadence Bank Houston Open is a professional golf tournament in Texas on the PGA Tour, played in November. As a part of a restructuring of the schedule, the event moved to the fall in 2019. Because the tour year starts the previous fall, the ...
.
[
In April 2009, McIlroy made his first Masters Tournament appearance, his first major championship as a professional. He finished the tournament tied for 20th place, two strokes under par for the tournament. Of the players to make the cut, McIlroy achieved the third-highest average driving distance, beaten only by ]Dustin Johnson
Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He has won two major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 and the 2020 Masters Tournament with a record scor ...
and Andrés Romero
Andrés Fabián Romero (born 8 May 1981) is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the PGA Tour and European Tour.
Career
Romero was born in Tucumán. He won his European Tour card by finishing 14th on the Challenge Tour rankings ...
. McIlroy played in two more events on the PGA Tour after the Masters Tournament including his first appearance at The Players Championship
The Players Championship (commonly known as simply The Players, stylized by the PGA Tour as The PLAYERS Championship) is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, it began in 1974. The P ...
, where he missed the cut.[
McIlroy then returned to Europe and recorded two top-25 finishes leading up to his first U.S. Open. He finished fifth at the ]BMW PGA Championship
The BMW PGA Championship is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and originally called the British PGA Championship.
History
The BMW PGA Championship ...
and 12th at the European Open. McIlroy played in his second major as a professional at the 2009 U.S. Open. His final round of 68 (−2) helped him finish in a tie for 10th, his first top-10 finish in a major. The following week, McIlroy finished in 15th place at the BMW International Open
The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour held in Germany.
History
Founded in 1989, it was held near BMW's home city of Munich every year until 2012. From 1989 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2011 i ...
.[ McIlroy played in his first ]Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
as a professional in July and finished T-47.[ He finished T-3 at the 2009 PGA Championship.][
McIlroy finished the 2009 season ranked second on the ]Race to Dubai
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
, behind Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood (born 24 April 1973) is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including ...
, and in November he entered the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time. McIlroy finished 2009 ranked 9th in the world. In November 2009, McIlroy announced that he would join the American-based PGA Tour for the 2010 season.
McIlroy accepted an invitation from Gary Player
Gary James Player DMS, OIG (born 1 November 1935) is a South African retired professional golfer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. During his career, Player won nine major championships on the regular tou ...
to participate in the 2009 Nedbank Golf Challenge
The Nedbank Golf Challenge, previously known as the Million Dollar Challenge, is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It was first played in 1981 and ...
at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City, South Africa
Sun City is a luxury resort and casino, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located between the Elands River and the Pilanesberg, about 140 km northwest of Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borde ...
in December, but withdrew after feeling unwell.
2010
McIlroy finished 3rd at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is a European Tour golf tournament held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. When founded in 2006, it was one of three European Tour events to be staged in the Arabian Peninsula, but at one point was one of six.
Hi ...
. As defending champion at the 2010 Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Go ...
, McIlroy shot a final round of 73 to finish in a tie for fifth place.
In the 2010 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
The WGC Match Play, currently titled as the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for sponsorship reasons, is a professional men's golf tournament that has been held since 1999. It is the only one of the World Golf Championships to have been contested ...
, McIlroy beat Kevin Na
Kevin Sangwook Na ( ko, 나상욱; born September 15, 1983) is a Korean American professional golfer. He was a member of the PGA Tour until June 2022, when he resigned in order to join LIV Golf. He won five tournaments on the PGA Tour between 20 ...
1-up in the first round and then lost on a playoff hole to Oliver Wilson
Oliver John Wilson (born 14 September 1980) is an English professional golfer. Wilson was a member of the 2008 Ryder Cup, but had to wait another six years for his first European Tour win, the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Amateur car ...
. After the Accenture Match Play Championship, McIlroy took time off from golf due to a sore back. After a two-week break McIlroy returned in the 2010 Honda Classic and finished in a tie for 40th.[
On 2 May, McIlroy recorded his first PGA Tour win after shooting 62 in the final round of the Quail Hollow Championship. The round set a new course record, and concluded with six consecutive scores of three. He became the first player since ]Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
to win a PGA Tour event prior to his 21st birthday. The win earned him a two-year Tour exemption. On 2 June, McIlroy played in the Memorial Skins Game at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio
Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 49,328 in the 2020 census with a census estimate of 49,037 in 2019. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus. The city of Dublin hosts the yearly Mem ...
. McIlroy finished tied for 10th place at that same week's Memorial Tournament.
On 15 July 2010, McIlroy began the Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course.
It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under ...
by shooting a 9-under-par 63 on the opening day, the lowest-ever first round score in the 150-year history of the Open Championship, and tying the course record. He missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 17th, "The Road Hole", which would have given him the outright record. His tied for third finish in the 2010 Open Championship sent him to a career high world ranking of seventh.
McIlroy missed out on a chance to win the 2010 PGA Championship
The 2010 PGA Championship was the 92nd PGA Championship, played August 12–15 at the Straits Course of the Whistling Straits complex in Haven, Wisconsin (postal address Kohler).
Martin Kaymer won his first major championship in a three-hole ...
when he three-putted the 15th green to fall out of a tie for the lead. His final-hole birdie putt narrowly missed the hole to leave him one stroke out of the playoff between Bubba Watson and eventual winner Martin Kaymer
Martin Kaymer ( ; born 28 December 1984) is a German professional golfer. A winner of two major championships, he was also the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking for eight weeks in 2011.
Kaymer achieved his first major vict ...
. McIlroy finished tied for third. On 4 October 2010, McIlroy won a crucial half-point to help Europe regain the Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named af ...
.
Following the Ryder Cup, he announced in November that he would return to play full-time on the European Tour, although he also stated that he would continue to play 11 or 12 tournaments in the US per year. He attributed the decision to having closer friends on the European Tour, his part in the Ryder Cup victory, and wanting to be nearer his girlfriend and family.
McIlroy later stated that he regretted his 2010 decision to give up his PGA Tour card, and his skipping the 2010 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. McIlroy's manager Chubby Chandler's aversion to the PGA Tour was cited by McIlroy as one of the main reasons for their later professional split.
2011
Masters: final round collapse
On 7 April, McIlroy shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 in the first round of the Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...
to take the lead after the first day of the four-day competition. At the time, he was the youngest player to lead the Masters Tournament at the close of the first day. On Friday, he shot 69 to lead by two strokes over Jason Day
Jason Day (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer, PGA Tour member and winner of the 2015 PGA Championship. He is a former world number one in the World Golf Ranking, having first achieved the ranking in September 2015. ...
with a 10-under-par score. On Saturday, he shot 70 to finish at 12-under-par, four strokes ahead of four other challengers. However, on the fourth and final day, he shot the worst round in history by any professional golfer leading after the third round of the Masters Tournament. McIlroy scored one-over-par 37 on the first nine, and still had the lead, but shot a round of 80, finishing T15 at 4-under for the tournament.[
McIlroy failed to make the cut in his title defense at Quail Hollow in early May, and was well off the pace at the ]BMW PGA Championship
The BMW PGA Championship is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and originally called the British PGA Championship.
History
The BMW PGA Championship ...
. He held the 18 hole lead at the Memorial Tournament
The Memorial Tournament is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large n ...
but finished in 5th place.[
]
U.S. Open win
On 19 June 2011, McIlroy won his first major championship victory at the U.S. Open at Congressional in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
. McIlroy's level of play was unrivaled throughout the week, and his dominance of play is evidenced by his 8-stroke margin of victory over 2nd-place finisher Jason Day
Jason Day (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer, PGA Tour member and winner of the 2015 PGA Championship. He is a former world number one in the World Golf Ranking, having first achieved the ranking in September 2015. ...
. McIlroy set several records in his victory, most notably, his 72-hole aggregate score of 268 (16-under) was a new U.S. Open record. The 268 aggregate beat the previous record of 272 held by Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
( Baltusrol, 1980), Lee Janzen
Lee McLeod Janzen (born August 28, 1964) is an American professional golfer who is best known for winning the U.S. Open twice in 1993 and 1998. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions, and was an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Early y ...
(Baltusrol, 1993), Tiger Woods (Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...
, 2000), and Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk (born May 12, 1970) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. In 2010, he was the FedEx Cup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 200 ...
(Olympia Fields
Olympia Fields is a village and a south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,718 as of the 2020 census. The municipality grew up around the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club, originally established ...
, 2003). The 16-under in relation to par beat Tiger Woods' 12 under at Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course on the west coast of the United States, located in Pebble Beach, California.
Regarded by ''Travel and Leisure'' blog as one of the most beautiful courses in the world, it hugs the rugged coastlin ...
in 2000.[ ] He became the youngest winner since Bobby Jones in 1923. The victory lifted McIlroy's position in the Official World Golf Ranking to a then career high of number four.
On 17 June, during the second round of the US Open, McIlroy would become the first player in the history of the championship to reach a score of 13-under-par at any point in the tournament. He achieved the feat by making birdie at the 17th hole in the second round. Despite a double bogey on the final hole, his two-day total of 131 (65-66, 11-under-par) set a championship scoring record as the lowest 36-hole total in U.S. Open history. The score was one better than Ricky Barnes
Richard Kyle Barnes (born February 6, 1981) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.
Early years and amateur career
Barnes was born in Stockton, California. He played college golf at the University of Arizona f ...
' 132 in 2009. He was also the fastest golfer to reach double digits under par in the U.S. Open, reaching 10 under par in 26 holes.
On 18 June, during the championship's third round, he became the first player to reach 14-under par at the tournament by making a birdie at the 15th hole, and would finish the round off to capture the 54-hole U.S. Open scoring record, posting a 3-round total of 199 (-14). In doing so, he also built an eight-stroke lead going into the final round. A final round of 69 allowed him to claim his first major championship setting the 72-hole record.
Rest of 2011
McIlroy took a month off from competitive golf. At The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
he struggled in tough weather over a difficult layout at Royal St George's Golf Club
The Royal St George's Golf Club located in Sandwich, Kent, England, is a golf club in the United Kingdom and one of the courses on The Open Championship rotation and is the only Open rota golf course to be located in South East England. It has ...
, failing to contend with the conditions. He was again a non-factor at the PGA Championship
The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four men's major championships ...
at Atlanta Athletic Club
Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC), founded in 1898, is a private athletic club in Johns Creek, Georgia, a suburb 23 miles north of Atlanta. The original home of the club was a 10-story building located on Carnegie Way, and in 1904 a golf course was bui ...
after injuring his wrist on the 3rd hole of the first round after attempting to play a stroke from behind a tree root. McIlroy went on to win the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters
The BMW Masters was a golf tournament played annually at Lake Malaren Golf Club, in Luodian, Shanghai, China. The tournament began in 2011 and became a European Tour event in 2012. It was dropped from the European Tour in 2016.
In 2011, the tourna ...
in a playoff against Anthony Kim. In November, he finished tied for 4th at the WGC-HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions was a professional golf tournament, held annually in China. Inaugurated in 2005, the first seven editions were played at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, then moved to the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen for a singl ...
to move to a then career-high of number two in the Official World Golf Ranking. In December 2011, he won the UBS Hong Kong Open
UBS Group AG is a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Co-headquartered in the cities of Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as the largest ...
by two strokes.
2012
McIlroy's first tournament of the year was at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is a European Tour golf tournament held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. When founded in 2006, it was one of three European Tour events to be staged in the Arabian Peninsula, but at one point was one of six.
Hi ...
during the desert swing of the European Tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
at the end of January. The tournament was in the spotlight due to its high-profile field including Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood (born 24 April 1973) is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including ...
. McIlroy played alongside Woods and Donald in the marquee group during the first two days. McIlroy shot rounds of 67-72-68 to start round 4 in joint 3rd place behind joint leaders Robert Rock
Robert Rock (born 6 April 1977) is an English professional golfer. He played on the European Tour from 2003 to 2022. He has won twice on the tour, the 2011 BMW Italian Open and the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. He lost to Irish amateur ...
and Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
. He shot a 3-under-par 69 on Sunday to finish lone second, one stroke behind winner Robert Rock
Robert Rock (born 6 April 1977) is an English professional golfer. He played on the European Tour from 2003 to 2022. He has won twice on the tour, the 2011 BMW Italian Open and the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. He lost to Irish amateur ...
.
At the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Go ...
McIlroy finished tied 5th on 14-under-par, four strokes behind winner Rafa Cabrera-Bello
Rafael Cabrera-Bello (born 25 May 1984) is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, where he has won four times. He has also played on the PGA Tour.
Early life and family
Cabrera-Bello was born in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. ...
. He continued to play well at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
The WGC Match Play, currently titled as the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for sponsorship reasons, is a professional men's golf tournament that has been held since 1999. It is the only one of the World Golf Championships to have been contested ...
in Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
where he won matches against George Coetzee
George William Coetzee (born 18 July 1986) is a South African professional golfer. He has won five tournaments on the European Tour and 13 on the Sunshine Tour, where he has also topped the Order of Merit on two occasions.
Early life
Coetzee wa ...
, Anders Hanson, Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez (born 5 January 1964) is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 21 times on the European Tour and has been a member of two victorious Ryder Cup teams.
Early years
Born in Málaga in southern Spain, Jiménez ...
, Bae Sang-moon
Bae Sang-moon ( ko, 배상문; born 21 June 1986), or Sang-moon Bae, is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Professional career
Bae turned professional in 2004. He won the 2006 Emerson Pacific Group Open on the Korean ...
and Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood (born 24 April 1973) is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including ...
before losing to Hunter Mahan
Hunter Myles Mahan (born May 17, 1982) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is a winner of two World Golf Championship events, the 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. ...
in the final. After 10 holes in the final match, McIlroy was 4 down to Mahan, but cut the deficit to 2 down through 16 holes. The 17th hole was halved with pars, securing the win for Mahan. There was anticipation surrounding the semi-final match between McIlroy and Westwood, as the winner would become the number one golfer in the world if they also won the final. McIlroy's runner-up finish moved him up to number two in the world while also putting him at the top of the Race to Dubai
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
leaderboard.
The following week, McIlroy continued good form and won the Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in south Florida. It was founded in 1972 as Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic, and prior to a schedule change in 2021 was frequently the first of the Florida events in late winter ...
in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida, 77 miles north of downtown Miami. , the population was 59,182. Palm Beach Gardens is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6 ...
, and with it claimed the Number 1 spot in the world rankings. He started the fourth round in first place at 11-under-par after rounds of 66-67-66, ahead of a chasing pack including Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
, Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood (born 24 April 1973) is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including ...
and Keegan Bradley
Keegan Hansen Bradley (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won five tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of six golfers to win in his major debut, along with Ben Cu ...
. McIlroy shot a final round of 69 to claim his third PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
title and finished two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
and Tom Gillis
Thomas Charles Gillis (born July 16, 1968) is an American professional golfer.
Early life
Gillis was born in Pontiac, Michigan, and graduated from Lake Orion High School in Lake Orion, Michigan. He turned professional in 1990 after playing col ...
. McIlroy became the second youngest World Number 1 and moved up to fourth place in the FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007. Rory McIlroy is the 2022 champion. Th ...
standings.
McIlroy played the following week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under sp ...
in Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. His recent good form began to dwindle slightly on Thursday, when he shot a 1-over par 73. However, he shot 69 and 65 the next two days to begin the fourth round in tied 8th place. Going into the back 9 on Sunday, he had a chance of winning his second title of 2012 in as many weeks due to the leaders faltering. However two late bogeys halted his chance and he settled for 3rd place, two strokes behind winner Justin Rose
Justin Peter Rose, (born 30 July 1980) is an English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour, while keeping his membership on the European Tour. He won his first major championship at the 2013 U.S. Open (golf), 2013 U.S. O ...
.
McIlroy lost his number one ranking on 18 March to Luke Donald after Donald won the Transitions Championship
The Valspar Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played annually on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, northwest of Tampa, Florida.
History
The tournament was founded in 2000 as the ...
. McIlroy was one stroke off of the lead going into the weekend at The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
but struggled in his last two rounds and finished in a tie for 40th. He regained the top spot in the world rankings on 15 April but lost it to Donald again on 29 April. On 6 May, McIlroy was in contention at the Wells Fargo Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located i ...
and went to a playoff with Rickie Fowler and D. A. Points
Darren Andrew "D.A." Points (born December 1, 1976) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.
Early years and amateur career
Born and raised in Pekin, Illinois, Points attended Pekin High School, and the University ...
. Fowler won the tournament on the first playoff hole with a birdie. The runner-up finish put McIlroy back at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. After the runner-up finish, McIlroy would later miss the cut in his next three events, and fell again from number one ranking.
PGA Championship win
On 12 August 2012, McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island (Ocean Course) in South Carolina. McIlroy would win by eight strokes, setting a margin-of-victory record for the PGA Championship with a birdie
Birdy or Birdie may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Birdie, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Birdie, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
People with the name
* Birdie Blye (1871–1935), American pianist
* Birdy (singer) ...
on the final hole. The record stood since Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
won the 1980 PGA Championship
The 1980 PGA Championship was the 62nd PGA Championship, held August 7–10 at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Jack Nicklaus won his fifth PGA Championship, seven strokes ahead of runner-up Andy Bean. The victory ...
by seven strokes.[ McIlroy started the final round with a three-stroke lead and shot a flawless, bogey-free 66 to run away from the field. At the time, McIlroy's win at 22 years old made him the youngest multiple major champion since ]Seve Ballesteros
Severiano Ballesteros Sota (; 9 April 1957 – 7 May 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No. 1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. A member of a gifted golfing family, he won 90 inte ...
won the 1980 Masters Tournament. McIlroy's win also regained him the world's number one ranking.
Pursuit of the FedEx Cup
McIlroy finished the regular season third in the FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007. Rory McIlroy is the 2022 champion. Th ...
standings. At The Barclays
The FedEx St. Jude Championship, founded as the Westchester Classic in 1967, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been played as the first tournament of the playoff system for the FedEx Cup, with the field limi ...
, the first of four playoff events, he finished in a tie for 24th, dropping him to fourth in the standings. McIlroy won the following week at the Deutsche Bank Championship
The Dell Technologies Championship was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Norton, Massachusetts, Norton, Massachusetts, United States, held annually in late summer over the Labor Day weekend. The 2018 edition was the last time the ...
to take the top spot in the standings. McIlroy entered the final round three strokes behind Louis Oosthuizen
Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen (; born 1982) is a South African professional golfer who won the 2010 Open Championship. He has finished runner-up in all four major championships: the 2012 Masters Tournament, the 2015 and 2021 U.S. Op ...
and defeated him by one stroke. The win also put McIlroy at the top of the PGA Tour money list. McIlroy's success continued the following week when he won the BMW Championship. He was 40-under par for his two playoff tournament victories. With the win, he became the first European to win four PGA Tour events in a single season and the only person other than Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
to win four events in a season since 2005.
Ryder Cup
McIlroy topped the qualification standings for the 2012 Ryder Cup. He picked up three points for the European team, partnering with Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell (born 30 July 1979) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland. He has a total of eleven tournament victories on the European Tour, and four on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Be ...
in two foursomes and one fourballs match, and with Ian Poulter
Ian James Poulter (born 10 January 1976) is an English professional golfer who plays in the LIV Golf League. He has previously been ranked as high as number 5 in the world rankings. The highlights of Poulter's career to date have been his two ...
in the second-day fourballs.[ On the final day, a mix up with his tee time meant that he arrived only 12 minutes before he was due to tee off, after being escorted in by a police officer. He defeated ]Keegan Bradley
Keegan Hansen Bradley (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won five tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of six golfers to win in his major debut, along with Ben Cu ...
2 & 1 to help Europe win 14½-13½.
Race to Dubai champion
Following Europe's victory in the Ryder Cup, McIlroy turned his attention to winning the Race to Dubai. A second place at the BMW Masters was followed by a third place at the Barclays Singapore Open
The Singapore Open was a golf tournament in Singapore that was predominantly part of the Asian Tour schedule. The event was held at Sentosa Golf Club since 2005 and since 2017 had been part of the Open Qualifying Series, giving up to four non-ex ...
to wrap up the title with two events remaining. To finish off his season, he won the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
The DP World Tour Championship is a golf tournament on the European Tour and is the climax of the DP World Tour Rankings. It is contested on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The t ...
, making birdie on the last five holes to beat Justin Rose
Justin Peter Rose, (born 30 July 1980) is an English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour, while keeping his membership on the European Tour. He won his first major championship at the 2013 U.S. Open (golf), 2013 U.S. O ...
by two strokes. He thus duplicated Luke Donald's 2011 feat of winning both the PGA Tour and European Tour money titles in the same year.
2013
McIlroy began 2013 with high aspirations, but mostly did not fare well in early tournaments. Struggling with an equipment change, having signed a large endorsement deal with Nike in January, he withdrew from the Honda Classic in February, and finished in two over par and in a tie for 25th place at the 2013 Masters Tournament
The 2013 Masters Tournament was the 77th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of golf's four major championships to be held in 2013. It was held from April 11–14 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Adam Scott won t ...
. McIlroy won the 2013 Emirates Australian Open on the 72nd hole. He beat Australian Adam Scott by one stroke.
2014
In January, McIlroy was hit with a two-shot penalty for not taking proper and full relief after driving onto a spectator pathway in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, his first event of the season. He was alerted to his mistake by Scottish caddie Dave Renwick after his round and, after signing for a 70 instead of a 68 to reflect the penalty, he told reporters: "There are many stupid rules in golf and this is one of them." The two-shot penalty ultimately cost him dearly, as he lost the tournament by a single shot.
In March, McIlroy lost in a four-man sudden-death playoff at the Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in south Florida. It was founded in 1972 as Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic, and prior to a schedule change in 2021 was frequently the first of the Florida events in late winter ...
on the PGA Tour, despite leading the tournament through all four rounds until the back nine on Sunday. He shot a final-round 74 (+4) and had a superb second shot to the par-five 18th in regulation play to qualify for the playoff, after missing the eagle putt for the win. He lost on the first extra hole, when Russell Henley
Russell Henley (born April 12, 1989) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Amateur career
Born in Macon, Georgia, Henley attended Stratford Academy in Macon. He played college golf for four years at the University of Georg ...
was the only one of the four to birdie the hole.
In May in England, McIlroy won the BMW PGA Championship
The BMW PGA Championship is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and originally called the British PGA Championship.
History
The BMW PGA Championship ...
at Wentworth Wentworth may refer to:
People
* Wentworth (surname)
* Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder
* S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator
* Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...
by one stroke. He carded a six-under-par 66 final round to beat Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won fifteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1997 he a ...
, who started the day seven strokes clear of McIlroy. The win was McIlroy's first on either of the two major tours in 18 months.
Open Championship win
On 20 July, McIlroy won the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool by two strokes over Rickie Fowler and Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández (; born 9 January 1980) is a Spanish professional golfer. He has played on the European Tour, PGA Tour and LIV Golf Invitational Series. García has won 36 international tournaments as a professional, most notably th ...
. The victory was the third major championship of his career, having led the field after each round of the tournament. McIlroy and Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
are the only golfers to win both The Silver Medal and The Gold Medal at The Open Championship. His third major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
title having won the 2011 U.S. Open and 2012 PGA Championship, McIlroy became the third European to win three different majors and joined Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
and Tiger Woods as one of three golfers since the first Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
in 1934 to win three majors by the age of 25.
PGA Championship win
A week after winning his first-ever WGC event at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, McIlroy would edge runner-up Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970), nicknamed Lefty, is an American professional golfer who plays for LIV Golf. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters To ...
by one shot to collect his fourth major championship victory with a win at the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla
In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
After McIlroy's victory at his own Nicklaus-designed Valhalla Golf Club, golfing great Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
said of McIlroy: "Rory is an unbelievable talent. I think Rory has an opportunity to win 15 or 20 majors or whatever he wants to do if he wants to keep playing. I love his swing."
2015
McIlroy's second tournament of the year yielded victory as he won the European Tour's Omega Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Go ...
for a second time. With a score of 22-under-par, matching the record set by Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won fifteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1997 he a ...
. He missed the cut in his first start of the PGA Tour season at the Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in south Florida. It was founded in 1972 as Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic, and prior to a schedule change in 2021 was frequently the first of the Florida events in late winter ...
. It was his first missed cut on the PGA Tour since the 2013 Open Championship, a streak of 22 consecutive events. He finished fourth at the 2015 Masters Tournament
The 2015 Masters Tournament was the 79th Masters Tournament, and the first of golf's four major championships, held April 9–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Jordan Spieth led wire-to-wire and shot a record-tying 270 (−1 ...
, his best career Masters finish. On 3 May, he won the WGC-Cadillac Match Play event held at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. This was his second World Golf Championship, in the process becoming only the third player behind Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to win 10 PGA tour events and four majors by the age of 25.
On 16 May, while playing in the Wells Fargo Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located i ...
, McIlroy shot a course-record 61 at the Quail Hollow Club
Quail Hollow Club is a country club and golf course in the southeastern United States, located in the Quail Hollow neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a private member club, founded by James J. Harris on April 13, 1959.
The club ho ...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
. He went on to win the championship for a second time, by 7 strokes with a tournament record score. This was his second win in three straight events.
McIlroy's tough schedule eventually caught up with him as he missed the cut at his next two events. First, at the BMW PGA Championship
The BMW PGA Championship is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and originally called the British PGA Championship.
History
The BMW PGA Championship ...
, he opened with an average one-under-par 71 but faded the next day to a 6-over 78. He claimed mental fatigue got the better of him and not its physical counterpart. The following week at the Irish Open, McIlroy shot a first-round 80 to lie 9-over and in a tie for last place. The following day he managed a level-par 71 around Royal County Down
Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. It opened on 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Ann ...
which left him four shots off the halfway cut. McIlroy stated he had left himself too much to do after a poor Thursday performance in front of his home Northern Irish fans and at the event he now hosts. He later said he was looking forward to a break after five tournaments in a row.
Just a little over a week prior to The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
McIlroy injured his left anterior talofibular ligament
The anterior talofibular ligament is a ligament in the ankle.
It passes from the anterior margin of the fibular malleolus, anteriorly and laterally, to the talus bone, in front of its lateral articular facet. It is one of the lateral ligaments ...
(ankle ligament). This led to him missing the tournament and the subsequent WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
The WGC Invitational was a professional golf tournament that was held in the United States. Established in 1999 as a successor to the World Series of Golf, it was one of three or four annual World Golf Championships (WGC) until 2021, when the n ...
. He made his return in the 2015 PGA Championship and made the cut finishing in 17th place.
Race to Dubai
Going into the final tournament of the European Tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
season, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
The DP World Tour Championship is a golf tournament on the European Tour and is the climax of the DP World Tour Rankings. It is contested on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The t ...
, McIlroy was leading the Race to Dubai standings. However six other players were in contention for the season end prize going into the event, with Danny Willett
Daniel John Willett (born 3 October 1987) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. In April 2016, he won his first major championship at the 2016 Masters Tournament, becoming only the second Englishman to achieve the f ...
being the closest challenger. McIlroy posted a score of 21 under to win the tournament by a single 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.
Following these successes McIlroy was awarded the European Tour Golfer of the Year Award, this was his third win of the award.
2016
Chasing his first win of the year, McIlroy took a three-shot lead into the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under sp ...
at Doral, but faltered with a two-over-par 74 to finish two shots behind winner Adam Scott. At the 2016 Masters, McIlroy was in the final group in the third round alongside Jordan Spieth
Jordan Alexander Spieth (born July 27, 1993) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion.
Spieth's first majo ...
but faltered to a birdie-free five-over-par 77 and followed that up with a one-under-par 71 on Sunday to finish T10. Afterwards, he said he was affected by the pressure of trying to achieve the Grand Slam.
In May, McIlroy claimed his first victory of the year at his home Irish Open – a tournament hosted by the Rory Foundation. He finished three strokes clear of Russell Knox and Bradley Dredge and subsequently gave the €666,000 winner's cheque to charity. On 5 September, he won the Deutsche Bank Championship
The Dell Technologies Championship was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Norton, Massachusetts, Norton, Massachusetts, United States, held annually in late summer over the Labor Day weekend. The 2018 edition was the last time the ...
in Norton, Massachusetts
Norton is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, and contains the villages of Norton Center, Massachusetts, Norton Center and Chartley, Massachusetts, Chartley. The population was ...
(near Boston). He finished two shots clear of Paul Casey
Paul Alexander Casey (born 21 July 1977) is an English golfer who is a member of LIV Golf. He has also played on the US-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009, he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Ranking.
...
. He produced a near flawless final round of 65 to win for the first time on the PGA Tour in 2016 at the Deutsche Bank Championship
The Dell Technologies Championship was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Norton, Massachusetts, Norton, Massachusetts, United States, held annually in late summer over the Labor Day weekend. The 2018 edition was the last time the ...
.
At the final event of the PGA Tour season, the 2016 Tour Championship
The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...
, McIlroy overcame a two-shot deficit after the third round to force a playoff with Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell
Kevin Alan Chappell (born July 8, 1986) is an American professional golfer who is currently playing on the PGA Tour.
Amateur career
Chappell was born in Fresno, California. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he won the ...
, winning the competition at the fourth playoff hole with a birdie 3 on the par 4 16th. The result put McIlroy at the top of the FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007. Rory McIlroy is the 2022 champion. Th ...
and won him the $10 million bonus pool.
At the 2016 Ryder Cup, McIlroy played five matches winning three points, all when paired with Thomas Pieters
Thomas Pieters (born 27 January 1992) is a Belgian professional golfer who currently plays on the European Tour.
Early life
Pieters was born in Geel, Belgium in 1992. He started playing golf at the age of five, learning the game at the Witbos G ...
: the European duo overcome Dustin Johnson
Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He has won two major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 and the 2020 Masters Tournament with a record scor ...
and Matt Kuchar
Matthew Gregory Kuchar (born June 21, 1978) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and formerly the Nationwide Tour. He has won nine times on the PGA Tour.
Kuchar briefly enjoyed success in the early 2000s before sufferin ...
, 3 and 2, in the Friday fourballs, Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970), nicknamed Lefty, is an American professional golfer who plays for LIV Golf. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters To ...
, 4 and 2, in the Saturday foursomes, and Brooks Koepka
Brooks Koepka (, born May 3, 1990) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LIV Golf tour. In October 2018, he became world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking for 47 weeks after winning the 2018 CJ Cup. He won the U.S. Ope ...
and Johnson, 3 and 1, in the Saturday fourballs. McIlroy paired with Andy Sullivan in the Friday foursomes, losing to Mickelson and Fowler, 1 up. In the Sunday singles, he lost to Patrick Reed
Patrick Nathaniel Reed (born August 5, 1990) is an American professional golfer. He has nine tournament victories on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2018 Masters Tournament, and two World Golf Championships, the 2014 WGC-C ...
, 1 up, thanks to a birdie by the American at the last hole.
2017
At the end of 2016, Nike announced their withdrawal from the golf equipment market, releasing players from their contracts early. After spending several months trying different clubs and balls, McIlroy signed a $100 million endorsement deal with TaylorMade
TaylorMade Golf Company is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The company focuses on the golf equipment market, producing golf clubs, balls, and clothing. TaylorMade Golf is currently ...
.
McIlroy did not win during 2017, but still had a solid year recording top 10 finishes at the Masters, The Open and 3 WGC events. He was hampered throughout the season by a rib injury first sustained at the BMW SA Open
The South African Open is one of the oldest national open golf championships in the world, having first been played in 1903, and is one of the principal tournaments on the Southern-Africa-based Sunshine Tour. Since 1997 it has also been co-sanct ...
in January, where he lost out on the title in a playoff to Graeme Storm
Graeme Raymond Storm (born 13 March 1978) is an English professional golfer.
Career
Storm was born in Hartlepool. He learnt his trade at Hartlepool Golf Club, where he still holds the course record of 62. He won The Amateur Championship in 19 ...
, and played a limited schedule as a result. After missing out on qualifying for the end-of-season Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, he decided to sit out the remainder of the year to rest and recover fully.
2018
McIlroy returned after more than 100 days away at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is a European Tour golf tournament held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. When founded in 2006, it was one of three European Tour events to be staged in the Arabian Peninsula, but at one point was one of six.
Hist ...
in late January. Prior to the tournament, McIlroy revealed he has a slight heart irregularity but played down the impact on his golf. McIlroy finished runner-up to Li Haotong
Li Haotong (, born 3 August 1995) is a Chinese professional golfer.
Career
Li turned professional in 2011 and played his early pro career on the OneAsia Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia. He also competed in a few European Tour events. Li qua ...
in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Go ...
. He lost out by one stroke, having led by two with five holes to play. It was his 16th runner-up finish on the European Tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
and the 22nd runner-up finish of his career. On 18 March 2018, he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort owned since 1974 by Arnold Palmer in Bay Hill, a suburb southwest of Orlando, Florida ...
with a final-round 64, his first win since winning the Tour Championship
The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...
(and FedEx Cup) in 2016.
In April, in his tenth appearance at the Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
, McIlroy was in contention during the final round. McIlroy and Patrick Reed
Patrick Nathaniel Reed (born August 5, 1990) is an American professional golfer. He has nine tournament victories on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2018 Masters Tournament, and two World Golf Championships, the 2014 WGC-C ...
teed off in the final pairing at Augusta National
Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does no ...
with McIlroy three shots behind Reed. However, McIlroy shot a 74 to finish six back of the winner, Reed, and was thus not able to take advantage of this opportunity to win a green jacket. He tied for second with a score of six-under-par at the 2018 Open Championship.
In September 2018, McIlroy qualified for the European team participating in the 2018 Ryder Cup. Team Europe beat Team USA 17 1/2 to 10 1/2 at Le Golf National
The Albatros course at Le Golf National is an 18-hole golf course in France, near Paris. Designed by architects Hubert Chesneau and Robert Von Hagge, in collaboration with Pierre Thevenin, it is located in Guyancourt, southwest of central Paris.
...
outside of Paris, France
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.
2019
McIlroy started his year on the PGA Tour in good form with five straight top-6 finishes: tied for 4th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions
The Sentry Tournament of Champions is the calendar-year opening tournament of golf's PGA Tour season, played in Hawaii on the island of Maui. The tournament was founded in 1953; for most of its history the field was restricted to golfers who won a ...
; tied for 5th at the Farmers Insurance Open; tied for 4th at the Genesis Open
The Genesis Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in southern California, first played in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open. Other previous names include Genesis Open, Northern Trust Open and Nissan Open. Played annually i ...
; runner-up finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under sp ...
; tied for 6th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort owned since 1974 by Arnold Palmer in Bay Hill, a suburb southwest of Orlando, Florida ...
. He subsequently won the Players Championship with a score of −16, becoming just the second British winner of the tournament after Sandy Lyle
Alexander Walter Barr Lyle (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. He spe ...
in 1987. With the win, he also joined Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
and Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
as the only players to win four majors and 15 PGA Tour titles before the age of 30.
On 9 June 2019, McIlroy won the RBC Canadian Open
The Canadian Open (french: L'Omnium Canadien) is a professional golf tournament in Canada. It is co-organized by Golf Canada (formerly known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association) and the PGA Tour. It was first played in 1904, and has been hel ...
by 7 strokes in Hamilton, Ontario. He shot a final-round 61 to win the tournament. He became the sixth golfer to win the career Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Trip ...
(possessing the PGA Tour's three oldest events by winning the three national championships; The Open in 2014, the U.S. Open in 2011, and the Canadian Open).
On 25 August 2019, McIlroy clinched his second season-long FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007. Rory McIlroy is the 2022 champion. Th ...
by winning the Tour Championship
The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...
at East Lake Golf Club
East Lake Golf Club is a private golf club 5 miles east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1904, it is the oldest golf course in the city. East Lake was the home course of golfer Bobby Jones and much of its clubhouse serves as a tribu ...
. The winning payout was $15 million, the largest in golf history. He became the second player to win multiple FedEx Cups. Following his FedEx Cup victory, McIlroy was named the 2018–19 PGA Tour Player of the Year
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
. It was the third time in his career he had won the Jack Nicklaus Award..
On 3 November 2019, McIlroy won the WGC-HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions was a professional golf tournament, held annually in China. Inaugurated in 2005, the first seven editions were played at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, then moved to the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen for a singl ...
tournament in a playoff against Xander Schauffele
Alexander Victor Schauffele (; born October 25, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, having won seven times since turning professional in 2015. Schauffele's best major finish is tied second at both the 2018 Open C ...
. The event was held outside of Shanghai, China
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
. This event was part of the 2019 European Tour and the 2019–20 PGA Tour. On 10 December 2019, McIlroy informed that he would miss the European Tour's Saudi International tournament in Riyadh and stated morality issues in going to the nation. "One hundred percent, there's a morality to it as well," his statement read.
2020
On 9 February, McIlroy gained the world number one ranking from Brooks Koepka
Brooks Koepka (, born May 3, 1990) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LIV Golf tour. In October 2018, he became world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking for 47 weeks after winning the 2018 CJ Cup. He won the U.S. Ope ...
. On 17 May 2020, McIlroy, alongside Dustin Johnson
Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He has won two major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 and the 2020 Masters Tournament with a record scor ...
, secured a win in a charity skins game played under the nearest-the-pin shot rule, as golf returned to television after nine weeks. The duo ended up winning £1.53 million for coronavirus relief funds. On 20 July, Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm Rodríguez (born 10 November 1994) is a Spanish professional golfer. He was the number one golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a record 60 weeks and later became world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, first ac ...
overtook McIlroy to become the number one in the Official World Golf Ranking.
2021
In January, McIlroy held the 54-hole lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is a European Tour golf tournament held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. When founded in 2006, it was one of three European Tour events to be staged in the Arabian Peninsula, but at one point was one of six.
Hist ...
. A final round 72 saw him finish in third place, five shots behind eventual winner Tyrrell Hatton
Tyrrell Glen Hatton (born 14 October 1991) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He has won six times on the European Tour; including four Rolex Series events. He also won the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invit ...
.
In May, McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located i ...
at Quail Hollow Club
Quail Hollow Club is a country club and golf course in the southeastern United States, located in the Quail Hollow neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a private member club, founded by James J. Harris on April 13, 1959.
The club ho ...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
by one stroke. He won this tournament for the third time. This was his 19th PGA Tour victory.
In August, McIlroy finished in a tie for third place at the Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, representing Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. He lost in a 7-man playoff for the bronze medal.
In September, McIlroy played on the European team in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits is one of two 36-hole links (golf), links-style golf courses associated with Destination Kohler, a luxury golf resort owned and operated by the Kohler Company in Kohler, Wisconsin. The other course is Blackwolf Run, located in ...
in Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 2,120 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Originally called Ri ...
. The US team won 19–9 and McIlroy went 1–3–0 and won his Sunday singles match against Xander Schauffele
Alexander Victor Schauffele (; born October 25, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, having won seven times since turning professional in 2015. Schauffele's best major finish is tied second at both the 2018 Open C ...
.
In October, McIlroy won the CJ Cup
The CJ Cup is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament was played for the first time in October 2017 at the start of the 2017–18 season, and is sponsored by CJ Group. The first three editions were played at the Nine Bridges ...
at The Summit Club in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
by one stroke. He overcame a 9-shot deficit prior to beginning the final two rounds, but a 62–66 on the last two days saw him win by one over Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa (born February 6, 1997) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and European Tour. He began his PGA Tour career with 22 consecutive made cuts, second only to Tiger Woods' 25-cut streak. Morikawa has five PGA ...
. This was his 20th PGA Tour victory, gaining him life membership. He became only the sixth player since 1960 to reach 20 wins on the tour before their 33rd birthday.
In November, McIlroy held the 54-hole lead at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
The DP World Tour Championship is a golf tournament on the European Tour and is the climax of the DP World Tour Rankings. It is contested on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The t ...
, looking to become the first player to win the event for a third time. However, a poor finish on the back nine saw him fall out of contention, eventually finishing five shots behind winner Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa (born February 6, 1997) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and European Tour. He began his PGA Tour career with 22 consecutive made cuts, second only to Tiger Woods' 25-cut streak. Morikawa has five PGA ...
.
2022
In January, McIlroy was in contention to win the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic for the third time in his career but hit his second shot into the water on the final hole and missed out on a playoff for the title by one stroke. In April, a bogey-free 64 in the final round saw him jump from a tie for ninth to finish as runner-up in the Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
.
In June, McIlroy successfully defended his title at the RBC Canadian Open
The Canadian Open (french: L'Omnium Canadien) is a professional golf tournament in Canada. It is co-organized by Golf Canada (formerly known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association) and the PGA Tour. It was first played in 1904, and has been hel ...
, shooting a final-round 62 to win by two shots ahead of Tony Finau
Milton Pouha "Tony" Finau (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.
Early life and amateur career
Milton Pouha Finau was born on September 14, 1989 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He won the Ut ...
. In July, McIlroy finished in third place at The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
, having entered the final round tied for the lead alongside Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland (born 18 September 1997) is a Norwegian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the 2018 U.S. Amateur and then became the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour (at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open) and on the European Tou ...
, to end the major season with top-10 finishes in each one. On 28 August, McIlroy won his third Tour Championship
The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...
, by one stroke from Scottie Scheffler
Scott Alexander Scheffler (born June 21, 1996) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. From March to October 2022, he was World Number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He won the 2022 Masters Tournament.
Early life
Sc ...
and Im Sung-jae
Im Sung-jae ( ko, 임성재; born 30 March 1998), also known as Sungjae Im, is a South Korean professional golfer. Im won twice and was Player of the Year on the 2018 Web.com Tour. He was Rookie of the Year for the 2018–19 PGA Tour, and got h ...
, to claim his third FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007. Rory McIlroy is the 2022 champion. Th ...
victory, surpassing Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
's two, and earn an additional $18 million bonus. In September, he finished tied-second at the BMW PGA Championship
The BMW PGA Championship is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and originally called the British PGA Championship.
History
The BMW PGA Championship ...
, losing to Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry (born 2 April 1987) is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. His notable achievements include winning the 2019 Open Championship, the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, and the 2015 WGC-Bridg ...
by one shot.
In October, McIlroy successfully defended the CJ Cup
The CJ Cup is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament was played for the first time in October 2017 at the start of the 2017–18 season, and is sponsored by CJ Group. The first three editions were played at the Nine Bridges ...
at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina. This victory also saw him move to number one in the Official World Golf Ranking
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986.
The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolli ...
, overtaking Scottie Scheffler
Scott Alexander Scheffler (born June 21, 1996) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. From March to October 2022, he was World Number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He won the 2022 Masters Tournament.
Early life
Sc ...
.
In November, McIlroy entered the DP World Tour Championship on the European Tour sitting in first place on the DP World Tour Rankings. With a fourth place finish, it was good enough for McIlroy to maintain his position at the top of the rankings. It was also his fourth Harry Vardon Trophy
The Harry Vardon Trophy is awarded by the European Tour. Since 2009 it has been awarded to the winner of the Race to Dubai. Before then it was awarded to the winner of the "Order of Merit". From 1975 to 2008 the Order of Merit was based on prize mo ...
win.
Awards
In 2012, besides leading the PGA Tour money list, McIlroy won the PGA Player of the Year
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
, PGA Tour Player of the Year
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
, Vardon Trophy
The Vardon Trophy is awarded by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average. When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In ...
, and Byron Nelson Award. In addition to winning the Race to Dubai, he was voted the European Tour Golfer of the Year
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
. He also won the Mark H. McCormack Award
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986.
The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolli ...
for leading the Official World Golf Ranking
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986.
The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolli ...
for the most weeks in the year (28 of 52 weeks). Also in 2012, he won a Laureus World Sports Award
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation foundin ...
in the category ''Breakthrough of the Year''.
In 2014, McIlroy again swept the PGA Tour awards: Arnold Palmer Award (leading money winner), PGA Player of the Year, PGA Tour Player of the Year, Vardon Trophy, and Byron Nelson Award. He also won the Race to Dubai and was voted the European Tour Golfer of the Year. He again won the Mark H. McCormack Award for leading the Official World Golf Ranking for the most weeks in the year (22 of 52 weeks). He was awarded the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year
The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sport, RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have ach ...
for the second time, previously winning in 2011, and the BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year for the third time after victories in 2011 and 2012. He also came 2nd in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just one, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. Several new awards have been i ...
award, behind Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mich ...
. In 2015 McIlroy was shortlisted for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. In 2015, McIlroy won European Tour Golfer of the Year
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
for the third time (2012, 2014).
In 2019, McIlroy won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award for the third time (2012, 2014). He also won the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award for a third time.
In 2022, McIlroy won the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award for a fourth time.
Technique, additional mentors and coaches
McIlroy employs the interlocking grip on full shots. He has worked with various professional golfers since he was young, including Darren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke, (born 14 August 1968) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions and has previously played on the European Tour and PGA Tour. He has won 21 tournaments worldwide on a ...
, Nick Faldo
Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo, (born 18 July 1957) is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator. A top player of his era, renowned for his dedication to the game, he was ranked No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking for ...
, and Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell (born 30 July 1979) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland. He has a total of eleven tournament victories on the European Tour, and four on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Be ...
. McDowell frequently plays practice rounds at Tour events with McIlroy.
McIlroy obtained putting assistance and instruction from Dave Stockton
David Knapp Stockton (born November 2, 1941) is an American retired professional golfer who has won tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Stockton was born in San Bernardino, California. He attended the University of Souther ...
, a retired PGA Tour player who works as a putting instructor. He was first managed by Englishman Andrew "Chubby" Chandler, a former European Tour player who founded International Sports Management (ISM).
McIlroy left ISM in 2011, with McIlroy joining Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management. Michael Bannon
Michael Bannon is a golf coach from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is va ...
has been working with McIlroy since the players childhood, going full-time with McIlroy in 2012.
Controversies
In March 2015, McIlroy threw a club into the water at the WGC-Cadillac Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under sp ...
after hitting his ball into the water on the par-5 eighth hole during the second round at Doral. McIlroy subsequently apologised for throwing the club saying: "It felt good at the time but now I regret it. Frustration got the better of me."
On the eve of the Open Championship in 2016, McIlroy said he would not watch the golf tournament at the Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
and would focus on the sports like swimming and track & field having previously withdrawn from representing Ireland in the games due to the threat of the Zika virus in Brazil. Following the tournament, McIlroy went on to admit his surprise at how successful it had been, and that he had been wrong to dismiss it. In May 2019, McIlroy outlined his intention to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games, representing Ireland.
Endorsements
McIlroy has been cited as the most exciting young prospect in golf and as having the potential to become one of the highest earners in sports in terms of endorsements. In 2013 ''SportsPro
''SportsPro'' is a brand of Henley Media Group, and a London, UK based media company for the sports industry in digital and events.
Digital
The SportsPro Media website and newsletters are sources of industry news and cover sport business appoin ...
'' rated him the third-most marketable athlete in the world (after Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Sain ...
and Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
). In January 2013 he signed a large endorsement deal with Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
, with wide speculation on its terms. Initial rumours of a 10-year/$250 million accord ratcheted down to a more likely $100 million deal of an undetermined length. In 2017, McIlroy signed a 10-year, $200 million contract extension with Nike for apparel only after Nike exited the golf equipment business, allowing him to additionally sign a 10-year, $100 million equipment deal with TaylorMade
TaylorMade Golf Company is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The company focuses on the golf equipment market, producing golf clubs, balls, and clothing. TaylorMade Golf is currently ...
to use their clubs, ball, and bag.
McIlroy was an ambassador for Jumeirah group from 2007 to 2012.
McIlroy is the namesake for EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" ...
' video game ''Rory McIlroy PGA Tour
''Rory McIlroy PGA Tour'' is a sports video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is an entry in the EA Sports ''PGA Tour'' franchise, and was the first series since 1999 not to feature T ...
'', replacing Tiger Woods, who had been the previous namesake for the series
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
from 1998 to 2013. EA (Electronic Arts) transitioned from Tiger Woods to Rory McIlroy after he became the world's number one golfer in 2015.
Personal life
McIlroy was raised Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
and has self-identified as Irish,["McIlroy timeline: Road to long-awaited decision"]
''The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' (Dublin). 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014. Northern Irish[ and British. He carries a ]British passport
A British passport is a travel document issued by the United Kingdom or other British dependencies and territories to individuals holding any form of British nationality. It grants the bearer international passage in accordance with visa requ ...
, although he usually is reluctant to discuss his nationality at length. In June 2014, McIlroy declared that he would represent Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
(if he qualified) at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, where golf became an Olympic event for the first time since 1904. In 2012 he had expressed an interest in representing Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
as opposed to Ireland. However, in January 2013 he was considering playing for Britain or Ireland or not playing at all: "I just think being from where we're from, we're placed in a very difficult position. I feel Northern Irish and obviously being from Northern Ireland you have a connection to Ireland and a connection to the UK. If I could and there was a Northern Irish team I'd play for Northern Ireland. Play for one side or the other – or not play at all because I may upset too many people... Those are my three options I'm considering very carefully". He subsequently chose to represent Ireland in 2014.
McIlroy lived near the village of Moneyreagh
Moneyreagh or Moneyrea () is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is just off the main road between Belfast and Ballygowan. It is situated in the civil parish of Comber and the historic barony of Castlereagh Lower ...
in County Down, about 20 minutes from Belfast. The land around his home included a custom-made practice facility and a scaled-down football pitch. In September 2012, the house was put up for sale for a price of £2 million. In December 2012, McIlroy purchased a $10-million property in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida, 77 miles north of downtown Miami. , the population was 59,182. Palm Beach Gardens is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6 ...
, located close to Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
' The Bear's Club.
McIlroy is an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland
UNICEF Ireland, also known as the Irish National Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialised countries. The National Committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development w ...
and made his first visit to Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
with UNICEF in June 2011. In 2014, McIlroy was also announced as an official ambassador for PGA Junior League Golf. His great-uncle Joe McIlroy was killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaig ...
in a sectarian attack at his East Belfast home in November 1972.
McIlroy is a fan of Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd), or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, ...
In his acceptance speech following his 2014 Open Championship win at Royal Liverpool, McIlroy joked: "Even though I'm a Man United fan standing here", which saw him booed in jest by rival Liverpool fans, before he thanked them for their great support. McIlroy is a fan of the Northern Ireland national team.
McIlroy plays the sport in his spare time. He injured ankle ligaments in 2015 while playing football with friends, which forced him to miss the 2015 Open Championship, but later stated he would not give up playing football.
McIlroy is a fan of Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of ...
and often interrupts his busy golfing schedule to attend rugby matches at Kingspan Stadium, formerly Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast.
McIlroy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to sport.
According to the 2017 Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes, McIlroy was the joint sixth highest-paid sportsperson that year, having earned US$50 million, of which $34 million came from endorsements. McIlroy created a new company, Rory McIlroy Inc, in March 2015. Headed by Donal Casey, it manages the royalty payments from McIlroy's various endorsements.
In February 2018, McIlroy appeared on an episode of Amazon Prime show ''The Grand Tour'', racing against Paris Hilton in the 'Celebrity Face-Off' segment of the show.
McIlroy dated Danish tennis professional Caroline Wozniacki from 2011 to 2014. They became engaged on 31 December 2013 but ended their engagement on 21 May 2014.
McIlroy started dating a former PGA of America employee, Erica Stoll, in 2015. In December 2015, they became engaged while on holiday in Paris. They married in April 2017 at Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo. The couple had a daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy in September 2020.
Amateur wins
*2005 West of Ireland Championship, Irish Amateur Close Championship
*2006 West of Ireland Championship, Irish Amateur Close Championship, European Amateur
The European Amateur Championship is an annual amateur golf tournament played at various locations throughout Europe. It is organized by the European Golf Association and was one of the "Elite" tournaments recognized by the World Amateur Golf Rank ...
Professional wins (35)
PGA Tour wins (23)
1Started tournament at −5 FedEx Cup playoffs adjustment, scored −13 to par.
2Started tournament at −4 FedEx Cup playoffs adjustment, scored −17 to par.
PGA Tour playoff record (2–2)
European Tour wins (14)
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–4)
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)
1Co-sanctioned by the OneAsia Tour
Other wins (4)
Other playoff record (1–0)
Major championships
Wins (4)
Results timeline
''Results not in chronological order in 2020.''
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
*Most consecutive cuts made – 9 (2013 PGA – 2016 Masters)
*Longest streak of top-10s – 4 (twice, current)
The Players Championship
Wins (1)
Results timeline
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Cancelled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
World Golf Championships
Wins (3)
Results timeline
''Results not in chronological order before 2015.''
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = no tournament
"T" = tied
Professional career summary
European Tour
*As of the 10 July 2022.
PGA Tour
*Note that there is double counting of money earned (and wins) in the majors and World Golf Championships since they are official events on both tours.
Team appearances
Amateur
*European Boys' Team Championship
The European Boys' Team Championship (Jean-Louis Dupont Trophy) is a European amateur team golf championship for men up to 18 organized by the European Golf Association. The inaugural event was held in 1980 and it has been played annually since.
...
(representing Ireland): 2004
* Junior Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 2004 (winners)
*European Amateur Team Championship (representing Ireland): 2005 European Amateur Team Championship, 2005, 2007 European Amateur Team Championship, 2007 (winners)
*Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy (World Men's Amateur Team Championships) is the biennial World Amateur Team Championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. Since the tournament was first played in 1958, it is named after Dwight D. Eisen ...
(representing Ireland): 2006 Eisenhower Trophy, 2006
*St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2006 (winners)
*Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2007 Walker Cup, 2007
*Bonallack Trophy (representing Europe): 2006 (winners)
Professional
*Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named af ...
(representing Europe): 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
(winners), 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
(winners), 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
(winners), 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
(winners), 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
*Seve Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2009 Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, 2009 (winners)
*World Cup (men's golf), World Cup (representing Ireland): 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, 2009, 2011 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, 2011
See also
*List of golfers with most European Tour wins
*List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
*List of men's major championships winning golfers
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McIlroy, Rory
Male golfers from Northern Ireland
European Tour golfers
PGA Tour golfers
Winners of men's major golf championships
Ryder Cup competitors for Europe
Golfers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Olympic golfers of Ireland
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Laureus World Sports Awards winners
RTÉ Sports Person of the Year winners
People educated at Sullivan Upper School
People from Holywood, County Down
Sportspeople from County Down
1989 births
Living people