Rory McIlroy

Rory Daniel McIlroy (born 4 May 1989) is a Northern Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking and has spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career. A five-time major champion, he is the sixth man to complete a modern career grand slam (after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods). He is the first European to achieve the feat.

McIlroy had a successful amateur career, reaching number one on the World Amateur Golf Ranking as a 17-year-old in 2007. Later that year, he turned professional and soon established himself on the European Tour. He achieved his first win on the European Tour in 2009 and on the PGA Tour in 2010. McIlroy won his first major championship at the 2011 U.S. Open. By age 25, he had won three more: the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship and the 2014 Open Championship. In 2022, he became the first person to win the FedEx Cup three times. McIlroy won The Players Championship in 2019 and 2025. After a ten-year drought in the majors, he won the 2025 Masters Tournament to complete the career grand slam.

McIlroy has represented Europe, Ireland and Great Britain & Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He has played for Europe at the Ryder Cup in every edition from 2010 to 2025, with Europe winning in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2023 and 2025. For his achievements, he has been named RTÉ Sports Person of the Year in 2011, 2014 and 2025, and won the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.