Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This time, it's all about Rory McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy may only play a maximum of 14 PGA Tour events this season. The minimum-event threshold for a regular PGA Tour member is 15. Yet, the Northern Irishman won't face any punishment, nor will his status be affected for 2027.

That's because of a loophole of sorts in the PGA Tour's regulations which protects the historic US circuit and its assets from situations such as this.

“Notwithstanding the above, the commissioner, upon application by a foreign member and for medical reasons or other extraordinary circumstances that the commissioner, at his discretion, determines to be a valid reason for not playing in at least 15 PGA Tour cosponsored or approved tournaments, may reduce the 15-minimum (or 12-minimum as the case may be) tournament requirement.”

All of that is to say, Brian Rolapp can make adjustments to the rules if he feels it isn't in the PGA Tour's best interest.

In addition, a deeper look at the PGA Tour's regulations in relation to the event minimum further absolves McIlroy - who is listed as both a foreign PGA Tour member and a life PGA Tour member.

The regulations say "a foreign PGA Tour member shall be eligible for a “home circuit” exception to provisions of the release regulations with regard to conflicting tournaments provided he has played, or committed to play, in a minimum of 15 PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments in the season..."

The guidelines go on to say: "... or in the case of a regular member or life member who is age 45 or more and has made 150 cuts or more in tournaments awarding official prize money in his career, in a minimum of 12 PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments in the season."

There is an important caveat to note at this point. The PGA Tour removed the age (or number of seasons as a member) requirement from the life member regulations a way back.

Therefore, now, once a player reaches 20 wins he will be immediately eligible for life membership - McIlroy became a life member on the PGA Tour ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

But are these added rules and regulations fair on the rest of the membership? Very few are in the position McIlroy finds himself and are unlikely to be let off the hook in similar circumstances.

So is it right McIlroy can do as he pleases? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments box below. Meanwhile, some of our tour experts have had their say on the matter below.

EH: Yes, I think it is fair. He is Rory McIlroy and should, to an extent, be allowed to do whatever he pleases. Don't forget he is a key reason the PGA Tour is in such a strong position today.

Had he jumped ship to LIV Golf or not spent hours in press conferences defending the US circuit then we may be in a different scenario right now. McIlroy is the biggest draw in the game and a career grand slam champion who only has eyes on the Majors.

EH: He builds his schedule around the biggest events and if that means he can't quite fulfill a 15-event PGA Tour minimum this year then so be it. The PGA Tour would be silly to punish him, their biggest star.

Tiger Woods is obviously on another level but the Tour also has a rule that allows him into all of the Signature Events.

I can see how some may feel it's unfair, but I think it is fine that a small number of highly accomplished and needle-moving individuals - Woods, McIlroy, and perhaps one or two more - are able to be treated slightly differently to the rest.

JL: For a tour that preaches the word 'meritocracy' as often as it does, I think this scenario carries a certain amount of hypocrisy by the PGA Tour.

The rules for most tour members are that they play, or at least commit to playing, 15 events per season. But then there's this rule and that rule which seem to give an out to players whenever they need one.

Ultimately, you end up with a situation like this where it looks unfair on the surface, only to realize that - technically - Rory McIlroy will justifiably escape punishment. But I don't really like the situation.

JL: The fact the PGA Tour has to point out to everyone that McIlroy is a Life Member and only needs to play 12 events per team speaks to a lack of clarity the circuit is currently facing. If it was up to me, I'd scrap the discrepancy and go with 15 for everyone, no matter what.

I've got no problem with McIlroy playing whenever and wherever he wants, and I understand why he is doing so at this stage of his career, but rules are rules and I think they should apply to everyone. Then again, the PGA Tour needs McIlroy more than he needs it, so I'm not surprised the situation has played out the way it has.

It's debatable whether this likely escape for McIlroy is right on the balance of all relevant context, but I'm not sure it's fair on the rest of the membership.

CK: This isn't a good look for Rory, but context is important. When LIV Golf threw a grenade into golf's ecosystem, the PGA Tour were desperate for a leader on the players side of things.

Up stepped McIlroy, in the prime of his career, chasing the grand slam, taking time away from his game to sit in board meetings, negotiate with players and business leaders and going to bat for the Tour on the public stage.

His reward? Jay Monahan throwing him under the bus by going behind his and every other player's back and announcing a framework agreement with the PIF.

We saw McIlroy's live reaction to the news on Netflix's Full Swing in which he said "F*** it, do what you want to do". He later said he felt like a "sacrificial lamb" following his advocacy for the Tour.

CK: Three years on, this is a different Rory. He's not only completed the grand slam, but now has TWO Green Jackets to his name. McIlroy took the fight to LIV on behalf of the Tour and in return got a slap in the face.

McIlroy owes nothing to the Tour now and is very much going to do what HE wants to do - and that is to put himself in the best position to win as many Majors as possible.

Yes, it is a new era for Tour under new leadership and a soon-to-be new format, but I don't think Rory cares. He is out for himself now and himself alone.

Agree or disagree with this all you like, but those at the PGA Tour can blame Jay Monahan for the shift in attitude.

PH: In general life I’m a 'one rule for all' type of guy, I don’t like preferential treatment due to status or celebrity, so this one has me a bit torn. But sport isn’t real life really, is it?

Not all golfers are equal, not all have brought in, or offer as much value as Rory McIlroy does to the PGA Tour – far and away more than any other golfer on the planet.

So Brian Rolapp is in a tough spot here to be fair to him, how can he punish his biggest star just at this crucial time in PGA Tour history? Is doesn’t make any sense to pick a fight with McIlroy over this - it makes even less sense to impose some sort of ban that would only damage the ‘product’ we keep hearing so much about.

PH: Even if he did ban him, and I’d actually quite like to see that, as imagine McIlroy then just playing on the DP World Tour and the Majors for a year, that’d be pretty epic if you ask me.

But modern sport is ruled by the athletes, player power is king and bigger players have more power – the PGA Tour needs McIlroy more than McIlroy needs the PGA Tour.

So to sum up, is it fair? No, not to the rest of the PGA Tour it’s not, but those players also know what McIlroy brings, and also know that’s the way of the world in modern sport.

Although Rory McIlroy seems certain to fall short of playing the minimum 15 tournaments on the PGA Tour this year he's never seemed worried.

Sir Nick Faldo ran into McIlroy at Royal Birkdale, where he was prepping for The Open instead of playing at the Travelers Championship - a theme for him this year as he looks set to fall short of playing the PGA Tour minimum.

But McIlroy has never seemed concerned. Could that be because he already knows that CEO Brian Rolapp and the PGA Tour won't take any significant action against him that could affect his status for 2027?

A report by Bob Harig would suggest that could be the case, as when he discussed the prospect of the PGA Tour bending the rules to keep McIlroy's status, Ponte Vedra got in touch.

In truth, McIlroy was never going to budge from his stance of playing exactly when and where he wanted, and the PGA Tour was never going to punish its biggest star.

According to Harig, though, we now know the reason McIlroy would escape punishment, as he says the PGA Tour contacted him to point out the following crucial rule in the player handbook.

“Notwithstanding the above, the Commissioner, upon application by a foreign member and for medical reasons or other extraordinary circumstances that the Commissioner, at his discretion, determines to be a valid reason for not playing in at least 15 PGA Tour cosponsored or approved tournaments, may reduce the 15-minimum (or 12-minimum as the case may be) tournament requirement.”

What that means is that if and when McIlroy falls short of playing the minimum 15 events this season, there's a rule in place to allow Rolapp and the PGA Tour to let him retain his playing rights for 2027.

Just what the "extraordinary circumstances" would be are unclear, and Golf Monthly has contacted the PGA Tour for comment.

McIlroy has had an injury this year that forced him out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational but he returned for The Players before resting between Sawgrass and the Masters.

He still had plenty of practice trips to Augusta National though and since then has chosen to skip PGA Tour events in favor of both moving back to a new house in the UK and preparing for Majors.

And McIlroy still has chances to make up his minimum 15, with the 3M Open, Rocket Classic and Wyndham Championship taking place after The Open and before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

If he plays all three playoff events he'll get to 14 without taking in one of those previous, so it is within his power - but he is sticking to his guns of playing exactly when and where he wants.

"I've been doing this a long time, I've been on Tour longer - more than half of my life at this point," McIlroy has said about his schedule.

"So I'll pick and choose my spots like I have been doing sort of the last 18 months to two years."

So it seems certain he'll fall short, but also seems certain there'll be no serious punishment from the PGA Tour for it - after all, with all the changes coming Rolapp would not want to be involved in an altercation with his biggest attraction.

Especially a star attraction such as McIlroy, arguably the biggest in the game who seems determined to make his schedule how he wants it - which includes more global appearances.

The 37-year-old will play in Ireland, India and Australia this year along with the regular visits to Wentworth and Dubai - and has previously said around 18-20 events in a year is his target number.

What do you think? Should Rory McIlroy be punished if he doesn't play the minimum PGA Tour events or is he a special case? Let us know by joining the conversation below...

Rory McIlroy has been at Royal Birkdale for an early scouting trip ahead of The Open, and will continue his lighter playing schedule as he won't tee it up in tournamernt golf again until the Scottish Open.

McIlroy's gameplan for the year has been to play less but focus more on the Majors, regularly skipping PGA Tour tournaments to take scouting trips to Augusta, Aronimink and Shinnecock Hills.

And he's doing it again, as McIlroy is missing the final Signature Event of the year at the Travelers Championship and instead is having a look around Royal Birkdale - bumping into three-time Claret Jug winner Sir Nick Faldo while he was there.

McIlroy gave Faldo his Birkdale verdict and confirmed his pre-Open plans only include the Scottish Open - but could his schedule get him in hot water with the PGA Tour?

McIlroy obviously successfully defended his Masters title at Augusta National after taking almost a month off following The Players and making several day trips down Magnolia Lane.

He's played just once in between the Majors since then to focus on preparation, and finished T7 at the PGA Championship and T32 at the US Open despite being close to a challenge.

And he told Faldo that he decided to keep the same plan in place for the final Major, playing just the Scottish Open and playing some links golf ahead of The Open.

"I am going to play the Scottish Open so it will be nice to get a few reps in, get a card in my hand, do all that," McIlroy said on a video posted to Faldo's social media channels.

"It's good to get up here and play early. I've been trying to do that at every major championship, which is working out for me.

"Try to play a bit of links golf, get used to these conditions again."

McIlroy has recently moved back to the UK to a new home in Wentworth, so has been spending time settling in - and has obviously been playing golf in his new neighborhood judging by his SUnningdale polo short from the video.

The Scottish Open and Open Championship will take McIlroy to just 11 counting events towards the minimum of 15 the PGA Tour requires members to play in.

And McIlroy doesn't seem to be on track to make it to that number, as he's not set to play in the 3M Open, Rocket Classic or Wyndham Championship before the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin.

So even if he plays all three of those, he'll come up one event short on 14 - and he's not going to play in any of the Fall Series events that follow.

It remains to be seen how well that goes down at PGA Tour headquarters.

'One of the best' - Rory Mcilroy's Birkdale verdict

Back on Birkdale, McIlroy finished fourth behind Jordan Spieth at the Southport venue back in 2017, while his one Open victory came at nearby Royal Liverpool.

And he added to Faldo, who played his first Open Championship at Birkdale, that he thought it was one of the best courses on the Open rota.

"I've always thought Birkdale is one of the best on the Open rota, so excited to be back," said McIlroy.

"It's good. A little bit different from 2017, the last time we played an Open here. Some different green complexes, different holes.

"The fifth hole I just played is completely different. I like it. A good driveable par four. A bit of a penalty if you got for it and miss.

"I don't know if the water is quite in play on the right but a lot of big deep bunkers guarding the green."

Player behavior is a hot topic right now, with Joaquin Niemann the latest to suffer at the hands of the USGA code of conduct, but that's not a bad thing.

Brandel Chamblee has been discussing the way players act, in particular their foul language and propensity for throwing clubs in anger, and he thinks it's about time punishments were handed out.

With Niemann given a two-stroke penalty in the first round of this year's US Open, perhaps players will think twice before they lash out in frustration.

Chamblee reflected on the legendary players of many decades ago, insisting that the kind of behaviour we see today was simply not a thing in the past.

"I never saw Jack Nicklaus throw a club. Never heard him yell an F bomb. Never heard a profane word from him on the golf course," Chamblee told Golf Channel.

"Never saw Palmer do it. Never Tom Watson. Pick your player. Greg Norman, all the bad losses he had, he never threw a club, never swore. Say what you like about Phil Mickelson, but I’ve never seen him throw a club or drop an F bomb," he added.

Times have changed, though, and Chamblee seemed to suggest Tiger Woods may have been the catalyst for a new breed of golfer today.

Chamblee continued: "The same wasn’t true about Tiger Woods. One of the best players ever, we all love him, everybody got rich off him, but he was one of the most profane golfers to ever play the game.

"Nobody ever criticized him, he skated through… they did to some extent but it wasn’t prolific and he wasn’t held to account the way Wyndham Clark was last year when he broke that locker."

Highlighting the various players he has witnessed acting inappropriately, Chamblee added: "Everybody that’s playing now watched Tiger… and it rains F bombs on the PGA Tour.

"Clubs get thrown all the time. Tee markers get destroyed. Players have all the power in the world, nobody reigns them in. I always thought you would get fined for profanity on the PGA Tour, but I guess not. When you watch it’s F bomb after F bomb.

"Jon Rahm missed a putt and screamed the F word as loud as he could. I’m no prude, I’ve played golf, I understand how crazy it gets and I’ve done it, too, of course. But not if I was on TV. These guys are on video everywhere they go. They have a bigger burden than we had, but with that comes unimaginable wealth. It goes with the scrutiny."

The introduction of a new, sterner code of conduct in golf is applauded by Chamblee, who believes the game has changed for the better in the wake of some high-profile transgressions over the last year.

"Composure is a skill. And it’s lazy to throw clubs and drop F bombs when you know the world is watching. There are people watching with their kids," he said. "It’s great that the code of conduct has been passed and that it’s sending a message to the players."

"What Sergio Garcia did at Augusta National, it sent a message," Chamblee stated. "Everyone drew a line last year at the US Open, with Wyndham Clark, and Rory McIlroy tearing up a tee marker. These guys have run amok and it’s great that the code of conduct has been put in place."

Rory McIlroy is not so sure that all the upcoming PGA Tour changes will actually make it that much better - and fears some decent tournaments will become "a glorified Korn Ferry event" under the new two-tier system.

The Grand Slam winner believes LIV Golf "created this false economy" within the sport, with the PGA Tour forced to react by increasing prize money and creating Signature Events in order to keep its best players.

Now LIV Golf is searching for funding to continue, with any new iteration certain to have a big drop in prize money - but despite that the PGA Tour has seemingly no intention of dropping it's prize money structure.

So with LIV's big-money threat lessened and the atmosphere calmer, McIlroy can't help wondering if the old PGA Tour system wasn't actually so bad after all.

"LIV created this false economy where we had to up prize funds and had to cut fields and try to support the top players and all that stuff," said McIlroy at the US Open.

"Which I think needed to happen because that was the only way to retain talent at the time, but now that LIV looks like it's less of a threat, I think the old ways of the PGA Tour weren't actually that bad."

McIlroy is "not in those rooms" within the PGA Tour as decisions are being made about the future, in a big change to the height of the LIV Golf saga when Jay Monahan seemingly sent him out to be the organisation's big defender.

Now McIlroy is looking at it from slightly afar, and says he's starting to think the way the PGA Tour was setup before all the LIV Golf wars could have actually been the best.

"I play my schedule, and I'll continue to play my schedule, which is getting less and less as the years go on," he insisted.

"Yeah, it's funny. I think, as they've done all this work, you start to realize that the way the Tour was before LIV came along was actually pretty good. It was a pretty good structure, and everything sort of worked pretty well."

McIlroy warns of 'glorified Korn Ferry Tour' events

One of McIlroy's main concerns is with some current events on the PGA Tour seeing their status reduced under the new two-tier system set to be deployed by Brian Rolapp.

The six-time Major champion cites the recent RBC Canadian Open as a prime example, with his worry that such a historic national open, along with other similar events, could be diminished unless it receives a huge sponsorship boost.

"I guess like at an event - I guess, just recency, an event like last week, the Canadian Open, potentially going to one of these track twos," McIlroy added.

"Track two is a glorified Korn Ferry event. That's what track two is going to be. So I don't think the Canadian Open should be one of those.

"I just think there's going to be certain events that might lose their stature if a sponsor doesn't pony up $30 million. So that's the tough thing."

Rory McIlroy has urged the USGA to exercise caution in setting up Shinnecock Hills this week to avoid a repeat of the last two US Opens held at the venue.

Both in 2004 and 2018 the USGA opted to let the greens dry out and used some of the toughest pin placements, but with hot and windy weather it made some putting surfaces almost unplayable.

Players like Tiger Woods and Zach Johnson said the USGA had "lost the course" in both events, and McIlroy referenced those as he warned about taking a chance this time around.

McIlroy knows exactly how tough Shinnecock can play as he missed the cut here in 2018 thanks largely to shooting 80 in his opening round, and believes it's difficult enough without the USGA making it harder.

"We've seen what's happened here the last two US Opens. It doesn't need to get that fast to play incredibly difficult and challenging," McIlroy said at his Shinnecock Hills press conference.

"I'd say the greens yesterday probably averaged about 11.5. They certainly don't need to be any faster than that.

"I think with the wind they're expecting on Thursday, I'd say it seems they'd want to get the greens back to the 10s. 10.5, something like that, just because of how heavy the wind is gong to be, gusts of 35 to 40 miles an hour.

"There was only gusts of 25 to 30 yesterday, and balls wouldn't stand on the 11th green. That's where you just have to use a little bit of caution."

The sight of watering greens mid-round in 2004 sparked controversy, but the USGA has spoken about planned watering this time around as a precaution - especially during the first two days.

"When I first heard of it, my first reaction was, that's stupid, why are they doing that? Then once you actually listen and you've let them break it down to you, you're, like, yeah, that makes sense," said McIlroy of the watering.

"The members at Shinnecock will tell you they do that every single day. Every single day at this course the members play, they put water on the course at 2:00 pm.

"It's a unique golf course and it seems like it's just something they have to do. For me, it's more - my concern was you don't want to look as if you've lost the golf course and you're starting to put water on it, which I don't think what they're going to do.

"I think, especially with the heaviness of the wind on Thursday, it's probably prudent to do that. Friday doesn't look as windy, but I think just for, again, fairness and competitive integrity, they do it on Friday, too.

"Then I don't think - I think they've got enough bandwidth on the weekend that they probably don't need to do it, so I understand it."

Shinnecock 'lures you in' to making mistakes

McIlroy believes Shinnecock can be "the best Championship test in the country" if the setup is right, as the course "tests all aspects of the game".

"You need to have your wits about you on the greens, you need a lot of strategy, thoughtfulness," he added.

McIlroy made a scouting trip to Shinnecock Hills the same day as Scottie Scheffler a couple of weeks ago, where he was surprised by how generous the fairways are this year.

With the weather forecast this week though, he warned "they're going to play a lot narrower" with crosswinds and heavy gusts expected on Long Island.

The 2011 US Open was the first of McIlroy's six Major triumphs, but he missed four of the next seven cuts before eventually getting to grips with what it takes to win this tournament.

Patience the key for McIlroy victory

Six tops 10s in a row culminated with near misses in both 2023 and agonisingly in 2024 at Pinehurst, but McIlroy believes his patience and consistency can see him finally win it again - on a course where patience is very much the key word.

"This course it demands so much patience and it can really lure you into taking on things that you probably shouldn't," he added.

"They're big playing areas, big fairways, pretty big greens but, especially with the weather...if you can get your ball into the middle of the greens here and putt to the corners wherever the flags are going to ne, that's never going to be a bad strategy.

"The strategy that I've employed at the US Open over the past few years has been a lot like that, and that's served me well. It hasn't gotten me the trophy, but it's gotten me pretty close a few years.

"But I definitely feel like I've become a lot better of a US Open player by trying to really stay patient throughout the week and not taking on too much."

With the Grand Slam monkey off his back, and back-to-back Masters titles under his belt, McIlroy can afford to relax and be patient during what will be a tough week.

Whether the strategy that's brought him close to US Open glory can pay off this week at Shinnecock remains to be seen.

Whatever the new PGA Tour season of the future looks like, Rory McIlroy will continue to build his schedule to his own personal preferences - even if it makes it harder for him to win.

McIlroy admitted "I feel a bit like a part-timer" as he returned to action at The Memorial Tournament for the first time since the PGA Championship last month.

The Memorial is just McIlroy's eighth start of the year on the PGA Tour, as he makes his golf-life balance his priority - using his time after Aronimink to settle into a new house in London.

And McIlroy says that he will continue to "pick and choose" his schedule based on his own priorities regardless of how the new PGA Tour is shaped.

Brian Rolapp looks set to create a two-tiered PGA Tour of the future, with Track 1 events expanding in both the size of the field and in the number of tournaments from the current Signature Events.

McIlroy, though, feels he's earned the right to pick his own schedule, so won't be changing things around to play in more of these big events.

"I think with the Track 1 events expanded to 120 players, I mean, I think I would back myself to finish in that top 100 or whatever it is if I play a limited schedule," said McIlroy.

"I've been doing this a long time, I've been on Tour longer - more than half of my life at this point. So I'll pick and choose my spots like I have been doing sort of the last 18 months to two years."

And McIlroy will stick to his plan even if it means making it harder for him to win the FedEx Cup - as balancing his family life and outside interests is more important.

"Does it mean it makes it harder for myself to win the FedExCup or whatever the season-long title race is going to be called? Absolutely.

"But I'm okay with that because it brings balance to my life and let's me enjoy things outside of the game."

How many events does McIlroy want to play a year?

McIlroy says he enjoys the flexibility of being able to add tournament starts on the PGA Tour at late notice if he feels he needs them.

Unlike the majority of American players, McIlroy also has commitments in Europe and globally on the DP World Tour - including events in Australia, India and the Middle East.

All of which he'll juggle to bring him to his preferred number of around 20 events in a year.

"I like that we have the option of the flexibility on this Tour," added McIlroy. "We don't have to enter events until Friday at 5pm before.

"So in the middle of the week before if you feel like you want to get some competitive reps under your belt, you can enter. So it is nice to have the flexibility.

"I play from January through to December with some of the commitments I have over on the DP World Tour, so over the course of that 12-month period, I would like to get it to around - 18 to 20 events seems to be a nice number for me."

The top two players in the world have been on scouting trips to Shinnecock Hills with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy giving their opinions on what it will take to win the US Open.

World No.1 Scheffler will head to Shinnecock Hills chasing history, as victory at the US Open will see him joing McIlroy to become the seventh man to win the career Grand Slam.

Back-to-back Masters champion McIlroy also played the US Open venue on the same day as Scheffler - on Monday - before heading to Muirfield Village for The Memorial Tournament.

And both men came away with the same impression - that Shinnecock Hills may have some generous fairways, but thanks to how tough the greens are, if you miss a fairway "you have no chance."

McIlroy warns about Shinnecock green speeds

McIlroy made several prep trips to Augusta National before winning his second Green Jacket in a row, and he's also been to Long Island to take a look at what test Shinnecock will provide.

"If it's set up the right way, I think it's one of the best championship tests in the country," was McIlroy's overall verdict. "I mean, it's an amazing golf course.

"The fairways are very generous. They're more generous than they were in 2018. But the first cut of rough is five inches long. So it's like the first cut is maybe three paces wide and then it gets into the fescue.

"So if you miss the fairway even by a yard... but you shouldn't. The fairways are very, very generous. So if you miss the fairway, I feel like you deserve a bad lie."

The USGA was accused of losing control of the course in both the 2004 and 2018 US Opens at Shinnecock with greens becoming unplayable - and McIlroy warned again about the putting surfaces not being allowed to get too quick.

"We played on Monday. The greens are rolling around 11, 11.2, something like that. And I really don't think they need to get much faster," said McIlroy.

"I think if they can keep them at that green speed, they can get them firm, and they can use the hole locations that they want to use without having some of the struggles that they have had the last couple of US Opens.

"So to me, it's all about them just maintaining the green speeds really where they are and not getting them too out of hand, and I think it will be a great week."

Scheffler - USGA can make scores as high as they want

Scheffler made his first trip to Shinnecock Hills and agreed with McIlroy's assessment of the wide fairways - and also that missing them would be fatal.

"That was my first time on property. It was kind of what I expected. I had heard some rumors about how difficult the greens were," said Scheffler.

"I was a little surprised at the width of the fairways, but the green complexes there are extremely difficult, and I think that's where the greatest challenge comes from.

"The rough, also, was a really good penalty, I think, for the width. Once you start missing fairways out there, you have no chance."

Scheffler says the USGA could use the difficulty of the greens to make the scores as high or low as it would want them.

"The fairways are generous enough to where it provides you some opportunity and that way it's just that the green complexes are extraordinarily difficult," he added.

"And so they can put the pins wherever they want and make the scores as high as they could possibly want them to be."

After an incredible third day at Aronimink, the 2026 PGA Championship is perfectly poised on Sunday, with dozens of golfers still in with a chance of winning the tournament.

One of those players within touching distance of the lead is Rory McIlroy. Despite scoring 74 on Thursday, McIlroy has gone three-under and four-under in the past two days and started Sunday three strokes back of leader Alex Smalley.

After his monumental win at Augusta last month, another Major victory here for McIlroy would naturally help to elevate him in the pantheon of the greatest golfers of all time.

Adding the Wanamaker Trophy to his collection for a second time would see McIlroy surpass Sir Nick Faldo with seven Major titles.

But, it would also put him on the list of golfers who have previously won the first two Majors of the year — a list which currently only features six players.

No one has ever won the first three Majors in a row during a season, but here are the legends to have won the first two.

Which Golfers Have Won The First Two Majors Of Any Year?

Craig Wood was the first man to go back-to-back in the Majors at the start of a golfing season. That was way back in 1941.

Incredibly, before that, Wood had a horrible record at the Majors, having lost playoffs in all four events. His luck changed, though, when he won The Masters by three strokes over Byron Nelson, and then went on to win the US Open by three over Denny Shute.

Eight years later, Sam Snead matched that feat. He won the 1949 Masters by three strokes, having clawed back a one-shot deficit heading into the final day.

Snead then won the PGA Championship, which used the match play format at the time. He almost got the hattrick, too, but a birdie chance turned into a par on the final hole at the US Open and the opportunity for a playoff evaded Snead. He would never go on to win the US Open throughout his career.

Ben Hogan is the standout name on this already impressive list — he's the only man to have won the first two Majors in two separate years, doing the Masters-US Open double in both 1951 and 1953.

What's even more impressive is that, in 1953, Hogan actually went on to lift the Claret Jug to claim a third consecutive Major win that year. However, the PGA Championship and The Open schedule overlapped that year, with the former finishing just as the latter was starting.

Essentially, Hogan had to choose one Major or the other, and he often skipped the PGA Championship at that time.

The legendary Arnold Palmer was the first man to truly chase down the single-season Grand Slam. After winning The Masters and the US Open in 1960, Palmer decided to play The Open and try to make it three in a row — he ultimately fell just short, coming second at St. Andrews — but it was at this point that he insisted the Grand Slam should comprise of the four events we consider today.

It should come as no surprise that Jack Nicklaus is on this list.

In what was arguably his greatest year of golf, 1972, Nicklaus claimed The Masters title by three strokes, and later won the US Open at Pebble Beach by the same margin.

A rollercoaster ride at The Open had Nicklaus looking down and out by day three, but a blistering final round of 66 saw him take the clubhouse lead. He was trumped by long-time rival Lee Trevino in the end, and denied the hattrick of Majors.

Another far from surprising member of this elite club is Tiger Woods. What is surprising, perhaps, is that he only managed to win the season's first two Majors on one occasion.

That was in 2002, when he defeated Retief Goosen in the Masters by three strokes, and bested Phil Mickelson in the US Open. He ended up being nowhere near the third Major, though, shooting a career-worst 81 on day three of The Open to well and truly throw away the single-season Grand Slam dream.

It was probably some semblance of a consolation that, prior to The Open, Woods was the holder of all four Majors at the same time.

The most recent man to win the first two Majors in a single season was Jordan Spieth. 2015 was an immense year for Spieth, who sealed the Masters-US Open double to really announce himself as one of the best in the sport.

He very nearly made it three Majors in the same year, too, finishing T4th at The Open but just one stroke away from being involved in a playoff with Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Marc Leishman.

Rory McIlroy is already one of just six golfers to have completed the career Grand Slam thanks to his triumph at Augusta last year. He's undoubtedly one of the best to ever play the sport, but joining this list by winning the PGA Championship would really cement him as a true legend.

In his first Major start since bagging back-to-back Masters titles, Rory McIlroy has suffered a disappointing first round at the PGA Championship.

Going into the event, McIlroy endured pain in his toe and had to cut his practice round short on Tuesday. Still, he stepped up on Thursday ready to make an impact at Aronimink, but things did not go to plan.

While the World No. 2 shot level-par on the back nine, it was his front nine that really let him down and left him frustrated at the end of day one.

McIlroy recorded a four-over score for the day after six bogeys and just two birdies in a very difficult round to start the PGA Championship.

The 37-year-old bogeyed the fourth hole, before bouncing back with a birdie on the fifth. However, he then recorded bogeys on holes six through 10 and saw himself tumble down the leaderboard.

As things stand, The Masters champion is T126th and sits seven shots off the lead going into the second day.

Clearly, McIlroy was not happy with his display, but, he was also unimpressed with patrons at Aronimink who were making noises while he was swinging on the edge of the green on the 13th.

After taking his shot, McIlroy turned to the crowd and said: "With your camera, just [do it] after we hit. Thank you."

Speaking to the media after concluding his round, McIlroy did not hold back when looking back on his performance, which he described as "s***".

Asked to elaborate, McIlroy added: "I started missing fairways. I missed the fairway right on four, the fairway right on six, the fairway right on seven, fairway right on nine. From there, it's hard.

"Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky... I made that birdie on five to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on four, then I just got on that bogey train at the end."

McIlroy went on to highlight his driver as one of the big issues, stating: "I'm just not driving the ball well enough. It's been a problem all year for the most part... That's pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well.

"I honestly thought I'd figured it out. Coming in here, I hit it well on Sunday at Quail Hollow, and then hit it good at home on Monday... Just once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me."

Claiming the coveted PGA Championship title is one of the four steps any golfer needs to take if they want to become a Grand Slam winner.

The second Major of the golfing season is unique in that it's the only Major that only allows professionals to compete, giving it an extra air of prestige.

The event has been running since way back in 1916, when a match play format was used, before converting to strokeplay in 1958 and becoming the tournament we know and love today.

Of course, with great prestige comes great payouts, and the PGA Championship purse is naturally among the biggest in the golfing world.

Winning the Wanamaker Trophy is one thing, but landing a share of the huge purse is a very nice bonus indeed.

While Jack Nicklaus holds the records for the most wins at the PGA Championship (during the strokeplay era), he doesn't come close to featuring on the all-time list of top earners from the event.

Interestingly, when we look at the top 10 earners in PGA Championship history, there are two golfers who haven't actually won the tournament.

Justin Rose takes tenth place, with earnings of $3,540,011 across a whopping 23 events. The British star's best finish at the PGA Championship was a tie for third back in 2012, which earned him $384,500.

Bryson DeChambeau is also on the list in seventh with earnings of $4,636,217. He's racked up that impressive amount from just eight involvements in the PGA Championship, with back-to-back second place finishes in 2024 and 2025 earning him $2,837,332 alone.

It probably doesn't come as much of a surprise, at least when you really think about it, that Brooks Koepka is at the top of the PGA Championship money list. He's won the tournament more than anyone else in the past couple of decades with three triumphs coming in 2018, 2019, and 2023.

Koepka is clear out in front, too, with earnings of $9,456,726 from 13 events putting him well ahead of Tiger Woods, who comes in second place with winnings of $7,354,862 from 23 events.

Woods did win the tournament four times (in 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2007), but the money on offer back then is nothing compared to where the game of golf is now.

With 32 involvements, Phil Mickelson is the golfer in the top 10 who has featured in the PGA Championship the most, and his earnings of $6,510,066 put him third in the all-time list.

That's not much of a shock considering Lefty also made the cut in 27 out of those 32 events with two victories.

He's followed by another two-time winner, Rory McIlroy. His wins in 2012 and 2014 earned him a combined $3,245,000 towards his total of $6,349,228 over the years.

Rounding out the top five is 2025 PGA Championship winner Scottie Scheffler. That win secured Scheffler $3.42m last year, and he's already earned $6,152,768 from just six events.

The rest of the top 10 includes Justin Thomas ($5,672,581) thanks to his two victories at the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.

2015 champion Jason Day ($4,369,608) is in eighth place and Xander Schauffele, who won in 2024, comes in ninth with earnings of $4,363,822 across nine involvements in the PGA Championship.

Another triumph this year for McIlroy or Scheffler would send them to the top of the pile ahead of Koepka, but that man will be desperate to add a fourth title to his name and extend his lead at the top of the money list.

We’re well and truly into Major season with the PGA Championship coming hot on the heels of The Masters.

At this time of year, it’s not unusual to compare the four Majors in men’s golf, with one regular debate being which is the biggest and best of them all.

The answer is entirely subjective, with each having prestige and characteristics that appeal to some more than others.

While the PGA Championship has some elements that make it unique, such as the absence of amateurs and inclusion of PGA professionals, one criticism leveled at it in recent years is that it still lacks the clear identity of the other three.

Indeed, many fans struggle to define exactly what the PGA Championship represents, with some even finding it difficult to distinguish it from a regular PGA Tour event.

It’s not just golf fans either, with one player who believes the PGA Championship currently lacks a clear identity being two-time winner Rory McIlroy.

Before the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Northern Irishman even went as far as to say that a non-Major has a stronger identity than the PGA Championship.

When asked about whether it was time for The Players Championship to attain Major status, he responded: “I think The Players is one of the best golf tournaments in the world. I don't think anyone disputes that or argues that.

"I think from a player perspective it's amazing. I think from an on-site fan experience it's amazing. It's an amazing golf course, location, venue.

"But it's The Players. Like it doesn't need to be anything else. Like I would say it's got more of an identity than the PGA Championship does at the minute.”

One theory on what’s to blame for the PGA Championship’s apparent identity crisis is its shift in the schedule from August to May, which came in 2019.

That’s a school of thought McIlroy subscribes to. Asked what the identity of the tournament should be, he was adamant: “I think glory's last shot. I think it needs to go back to August.”

It’s not the first time McIlroy has suggested the PGA Championship should be moved forward three months.

Back in 2023, when the event was held at Oak Hill Country Club, he made a similar point, saying: “I always liked in August that this was glory's last shot and there was a real identity there.

“Not saying that it's lost any of that identity in terms of it's still a Major championship, but I feel like having it be the last Major of the year maybe just gave it a little bit of something that it doesn't quite have right now.”

Do you think McIlroy is correct? Or is there something else that could be done to give the PGA Championship a stronger identity? Let us know in the comments.

The day after cutting a PGA Championship practice round short because of a blister, Rory McIlroy has been spotted wearing a new pair of shoes during a practice round at Aronimink.

On Wednesday, the two-time PGA Champion wore a pair of custom-fitted Nike Victory Pro 4s, one of the best golf shoes of 2026. He also completed all nine holes of his practice round.

Skratch’s Riley Hamel wrote on X: “New shoes for Rory. Told Harry [caddie Diamond] on the range that the toe feels okay, but still hurts a bit walking. Said the new shoes are ‘softer.’"

That encouraging news was backed up by Today’s Golfer’s Ben Parsons.

He wrote on X: “Rory has just finished playing the back nine in a bigger, wider shoe. Told a few of us after he was pleasantly surprised how good his toe felt. Not causing pain on any of his shots and only discomfort is walking downhill. He’s good to go.”

The blister appeared on Friday at the Truist Championship, and it was still bothering him on Sunday.

Following his final round at Quail Hollow, McIlroy explained the issue, saying: “Yeah, I've got a blister on my pinky toe on my right foot. But it's underneath my nail. So I can't really get to it, so it's a little sore, but I'll be all right.”

Per the Irish Independent, on Monday evening, McIlroy took matters into his own hands, telling reporters the following day: “I ended up ripping the toenail off last night, just because it was bothering me so much. "

He added: “I just got in the bath and got the toenail to soften up and then burst the blister that was underneath. It feels better today.”

However, it was clearly still bothering him during his practice round later on Tuesday.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on X, McIlroy was on the third fairway on Tuesday when he removed his shoe before finishing the hole.

He then took the shoe off again at the fourth tee before cutting the round short and heading back to the clubhouse on a cart, apparently to try some different shoes.

Darlington’s ESPN colleague Paolo Uggetti added: “On the 4th tee, he literally tried on another person’s shoe. Said he wasn’t bothered by it while just standing. He also seemed to indicate that another pair of shoes may be on their way…”

Underdog Golf also reported on X that, per the Golf Channel’s Kira K. Dixon, members of McIlroy’s team were seen walking into the clubhouse with boxes of shoes.

After McIlroy cut his practice round short on Tuesday, the Golf Channel's Todd Lewis confirmed he'd be using new shoes.

He said: "I did catch up with Rory after he walked off the golf course, and he said he’s probably going to have to have a separator moving forward between his pinky toe and the fourth toe, because they’re rubbing up against each other.

“He’s going to bandage it, put on a new pair of shoes that he’s been fitted for, and he said he should be comfortable, get a little more healing tonight. He is not worried about that pinky for the PGA Championship.”

Assuming McIlroy is fit to play, he will tee it up alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth in the first two rounds, beginning at 8.40am EDT on Thursday.

It's a big question ahead of every Major, so players and pundits alike have been discussing what will the winning score be at the PGA Championship?

Aronimink near Philadelphia will stage the second men's Major of the year and the first at the Donald Ross layout in 64 years.

Rory McIlroy and others have said that the course could be easily overpowered by the big hitters but the testing, sloping greens will be the big defense.

But how will that play out in terms of a winning score?

"The greens are the main focus this week, and I think getting yourself in the right sections of the greens, making sure you leave yourself below the hole for the most part. That's the key this week," said McIlroy.

Scottie Scheffler says there's a huge difference in a wet Aronimink and a dry and firm one - with the PGA Championship weather forecast suggesting it could be a bit damp to start with but dry out heading into the weekend.

The PGA of America do have a manner of control in terms of pin placements and whether they water the greens or not - but most believe the field will be good enough to post a relatively low score at the par-70 layout.

Keegan Bradley won on -20 at the 2018 BMW Championship held at Aronimink, but we're expecting conditions to be tougher this week.

Still, around the -16 mark has been touted by those on the ground in Pennsylvania as a possible winning score, while Ben Griffin predicted it will be tougher with -12 his pick.

Winning scores in recent years have fluctuated, with Keegan Bradley pointing out that the PGA of America has no agenda in terms of what score it wants to win the Wanamaker Trophy.

Weather can play a part given the new date in May for the PGA Championship - with Xander Schauffele winning a birdiefest at a soggy Valhalla a couple of years ago.

Southern Hills in 2022 was the toughest of the last decade in relation to par as Justin Thomas won a play-off after finishing on five under, while Phil Mickelson took the most strokes to win of the last 10 champions with 282 needed to win at Kiawah Island on six under.

Five of the last 10 have been single figures under par - and while Scheffler was -11 last year he was five shots clear of the field.

And while around that 10 under mark may be the aim, the PGA of America is seemingly more bothered about making the event a spectacle rather than worrying about the winning score.

What do you think the winning score will be in the 2026 PGA Championship? Have you say by joining the conversation below...

PGA Championship winning scores

When Rory McIlroy completed back-to-back titles at The Masters, it ensured that, whatever else happens, 2026 will go down as a memorable year for the Northern Irishman.

There have been fine performances elsewhere, too, including T3 at the Dubai Invitational and T2 at the Genesis Invitational.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for him, though. For example, he withdrew before the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back problem - an issue he was still wary of during the following week’s Players Championship.

Now, ahead of the PGA Championship, he is dealing with another painful issue, although he indicated at the Truist Championship on Sunday that it was not serious enough to put his participation at Aronimink Golf Club in doubt.

Following his final round at Quail Hollow, McIlroy said of the problem, which flared up on Friday: “Yeah, I've got a blister on my pinky toe on my right foot. But it's underneath my nail. So I can't really get to it or so it's a little sore, but I'll be all right.”

Asked further on if he had any concerns about the blister he said: “No, it's fine. I'll be okay.”

However, two days later, the blister was proving troublesome enough to force him to cut a practice round short.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on X, McIlroy was on the third fairway on Tuesday when he removed his shoe before finishing the hole.

He then took the shoe off again at the fourth tee before cutting the round short, apparently to try some different shoes in the clubhouse.

Darlington’s ESPN colleague Paolo Uggetti added: “On the 4th tee, he literally tried on another person’s shoe. Said he wasn’t bothered by it while just standing. He also seemed to indicate that another pair of shoes may be on their way…”

Underdog Golf also reported that, per the Golf Channel’s Kira K. Dixon, members of McIlroy’s team were seen walking into the clubhouse with boxes of shoes.

During McIlroy’s press conference earlier in the day on Tuesday, there was no mention of the blister, suggesting that it was still not causing him undue concern.

However, even if that is still the case, two days before beginning his attempt to win the Major for the third time, it is hardly the ideal preparation for the star.

Assuming McIlroy is fit to play, he will tee it up alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth in the first two rounds, beginning at 8.40am EDT on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy has admitted he was wrong to hope the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF would eventually work out a concrete deal to reunite the top level of men's professional golf.

A framework agreement between the three main men's golf tours - which includes the DP World Tour - was signed in June 2023 and McIlroy was among those who publicly supported a future where the trio could potentially co-exist.

The six-time Major winner said at the time he felt the shock deal was "good for golf" and was confident something more permanent would be worked out in the end.

However, as time wore on and the PGA Tour announced a multi-billion dollar investment deal with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG), it became increasingly likely the sport would remain fractured on the men's side.

With the PIF now not only walking away from any kind of merger - but also from the LIV Golf League as a financial backer - and the PGA Tour seemingly making strides to improve with its new private equity partners, McIlroy admitted he should not have doubted the legacy circuit's ability to weather the storm.

Asked ahead of the PGA Championship how he felt about historically making calls for a merger before the PIF chose to walk away from golf, McIlroy said: "I'm glad I was wrong. I can admit when I'm wrong, and that was one that I did get wrong.

"I think it was always a possibility to happen. Look, I think everyone knows like with everything that's happening in the Middle East, that had a lot to do [with it]; but whenever you have funding tied so much to the geopolitical landscape in the world, that's a tricky road to navigate.

"Yeah, their priorities shifted, and that leaves LIV in a pretty precarious spot, but again... it was always a possibility."

McIlroy has certainly softened his stance over the team-based league since its inception but he remains very much a PGA Tour loyalist.

Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman shared he has a degree of sympathy for LIV golfers given McIlroy stated a healthy number of external parties knew of the PIF's intentions before plenty involved with LIV did.

McIlroy continued: "I feel like a lot of us in this room, including me, we almost knew before the players did that this was going to happen. Like I was hearing about this back in March, April time.

"Look, I have friends over there. One of my best friends, Ricky, caddies for Tom McKibbin, who's over there, and I would talk to him all the time about what was going on. I was saying to Ricky, even before Mexico, 'Have you guys heard any of this stuff?' He was like, 'No, everything seems okay over here.'

"It just feels like the rug was pulled from under their feet and everyone was sort of blind sided by it. But again, that's the risk that those guys chose to take. As I said, it leaves... there's a lot of uncertainty in the air right now."

Since the Saudi PIF confirmed its exit at the end of the season, LIV has set about trying to find other sources of funding.

But McIlroy suggested no matter who comes in from 2027 - if anyone at all does - the league will be forced into some potentially significant changes.

McIlroy said: "I'm not privy to the deals they have. I guess from what I read they've got some sponsorship revenue for... I don't know how long that those commitments are.

"Look, if they do somehow get a schedule together for next year, it seems like it's going to look drastically different to what it's looked like over the last four years."

Rory McIlroy enters the 2026 PGA Championship expected to contend for yet another Major title, with the now six-time Major champion high in confidence after winning The Masters.

McIlroy has had great success in the PGA Championship, finishing T3rd in his 2010 debut at Whistling Straits and then again at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2011.

He won his second Major title at the 2012 PGA, storming to an eight-stroke victory, before beating the likes of Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler at Valhalla in 2014 for his second Wanamaker Trophy.

Since then, his record in the championship has been good - but it trails his form in the other three Majors.

Rory McIlroy's PGA Championship record vs the other majors

Since 2015, McIlroy has managed three top-10s in his 11 PGA Championship appearances compared to eight in The Masters (from 12 starts, including two wins and a runner-up), seven in the US Open (including two runner-ups) and six in The Open from just nine tournaments, having missed 2015 with injury and the 2020 edition being cancelled.

His best finish in the event since winning is T7th, in 2023, a result he has bettered 12 times in the other three Majors.

The closest he has got to winning a third Wanamaker came in 2022, when he ended the week three strokes back of the playoff between Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.

Seven players beat his two-under-par total at Southern Hills, where Thomas won his second PGA Championship.

He has only missed one cut in the PGA since winning in 2015, though, which is actually better than the other three.

Since 2015, he has missed the cut at The Masters twice, three times at the US Open and twice at The Open.

So the PGA Championship has been more of an event when he has a 'run of the mill' week to finish comfortably inside the cut line but short of contention.

Why has Rory McIlroy 'struggled' in the PGA recently?

There could be a few reasons for his somewhat lack of success in recent years.

One of those could be down to the course setup, with the PGA Championship venues resembling more of a standard PGA Tour setup compared to the other Majors, which are usually more exacting tests and allow the best players to rise to the top easier.

Another could be down to the fabled Green Jacket.

Since 2019, the PGA Championship has taken place just five weeks after The Masters - which was the only thing McIlroy truly desired since winning the third leg of the slam in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.

He may have arrived at PGA Championships slightly fatigued and on a comedown from another pressure-filled attempt at Augusta, but that is over now.

We can scrub last year's T47 at Quail Hollow as he clearly was struggling with the case of 'what next' after finally getting his shoulders into the Green Jacket, but his second Masters triumph has him in a fantastic head space right now.

"It feels a lot different," he said of winning at Augusta for the second time.

"Even winning felt different. I guess, you know, and I've spoke about this a lot, I felt like winning the Grand Slam was like this, was going to be this life-changing thing and in some ways it was, but in other ways I had to remember like, no, I still have a lot of my career left and I want to keep playing and keep competing.

"So this year was I think winning was validation for all the work that I've put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I'm winning majors.

"I'm excited for the road ahead. I'm excited for this week, I'm excited for Aronimink next week, Shinnecock, Birkdale, you know, like I feel like if anything I'm more motivated after what happened at Augusta this year than I've ever been."

Another reason may be because he had already won the PGA twice so he perhaps wasn't as motivated to win it again versus the other Majors.

He missed three consecutive US Open cuts from 2016-2018 and that kick-started something in him to become a better, more resilient US Open competitor on the USGA's brutally difficult setups.

He has publicly said a big goal of his is to win a US Open on one of the tough setups like Oakmont and Shinnecock Hills after dominating the 2011 US Open at a soft Congressional.

Whatever he has done, it has worked. He followed those MCs with six straight top-10s, including back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, with a T19 last year at Oakmont amid his post-Masters blues.

He also has a fantastic Open Championship record, with six top-10s in his last nine starts. The Northern Irishman grew up playing links golf and is always buoyed by the home support in the the UK.

So while his PGA Championship record falls short of his performances in the other Majors since 2015, it does feel like this new Rory McIlroy 2.0 is set on nothing but more Major titles.

He is not in a post-Masters funk, is competitively sharp after dusting off the rust at Quail Hollow last week and is well overdue another challenge for the Wanamaker Trophy. It could well be this week in Pennsylvania.

They may not have seen eye-to-eye on the topic, but Rory McIlroy is glad Jon Rahm finally got his deal sorted with the DP World Tour.

McIlroy is especially happy Rahm has secured his Ryder Cup eligibility for next year, to ensure he'll be available for Luke Donald's European side at Adare Manor.

Europe's two Ryder Cup big guns had opposing views on the DP World Tour deal Rahm refused to accept while eight LIV players, including Tyrrell Hatton, signed up.

McIlroy thought it was a "pretty generous" deal though and warned Europe could win the Ryder Cup without the Spaniard.

The news of LIV Golf's impending loss of Saudi PIF funding led to Rahm and the DP World Tour striking a deal.

And that's a relief for McIlroy who hopes they can now put the matter to bed.

“I think it's good that we have it all behind us,” McIlroy said on Golf Channel ahead of the Truist Championship.

“I think as a European Ryder Cup player, we all know that having Jon on the team is better than not having him on the team.

“So look, I'm glad that they came to an agreement. It took him a little longer to get there than some of the other guys, but he got there in the end, thankfully.

“It's good that we can put that behind us and move forward.”

Although the two had kept things pretty cordial, the disagreement could have led to some awkwardness if the matter dragged on any longer.

Having Rahm back in the fold well over a year before the Ryder Cup heads to Ireland will also be a relief for captain Donald.

Europe's success has always been built on the bond between the players, and as Donald bids for a historic hat-trick of wins he will need his big dogs to be on the same page.

Rory McIlroy makes his first start since winning The Masters last month at a very familiar venue, and he'll be doing so with some fresh sticks in the bag.

The six-time Major champion is the tournament favorite this week at Quail Hollow, coined 'Rory McIlroy Country Club', having won four times around the Charlotte, North Carolina course in 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024.

McIlroy regularly makes equipment changes, including at Augusta where he went back to a TaylorMade Qi10 3 wood, and he has made another tweak to his set-up following The Masters.

The Northern Irishman has taken the Qi10 out this week for the Truist Championship and has gone back to the 2026 Qi4D fairway wood model, although it is a different head to the previous 4D he had in the bag to start the year.

The original Qi4D was benched due to a slight left bias, McIlroy revealed, while he says the Qi10 it was replaced with did not spin enough.

Speaking to media ahead on Wednesday, he revealed he also had a new set of Rors Proto irons and explained his 3-wood changes this year.

"Yeah, so I had been using the [Qi]4D 3-wood at the start of the season. I noticed that it just had a little bit of a left bias in it," he said.

"So I went back to an old Qi10 for a while. But it really wasn't spinning enough. It's more like a mini driver than a 3-wood. It sort of spins like 2,700, it's pretty fast. It could be a good club for like Memorial, for example.

"But I felt like I needed a 3-wood that just spun a little bit more. So the TaylorMade guys were down working with me last week because I needed to get into a new set of irons too. So I got a fresh set of irons.

"So they brought a couple of 3-wood options along and I landed on this one. It doesn't have that left bias I was seeing with the old 4D 3-wood.

"And it's got a nice consistent spin rate sort of like 3,200, which is what I like to see."

He has had three weeks off since winning for the second time at Augusta, where he became the fourth back-to-back winner alongside Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

As well as testing equipment at home in Florida, he also took a trip to New York and was spotted at the White House, where President Trump publicly congratulated him on his Masters victory.

"It's been amazing," McIlroy said of his sixth Major victory.

"Maybe not quite as hectic as last year. I think this win felt a little bit different than the first win at Augusta.

"It's been really nice to spend time at home. I've done a couple of things, but I certainly haven't, you know, I didn't do the media trip up to New York.

"It was nice, my parents were in the States, so I didn't have to fly home and see them. It was nice to just get a little bit of down time and chill.

"Did some fun stuff. Erica and I took a trip to New York, which was nice. Then did the State Dinner at the Whitehouse last Tuesday night, which was an amazing evening.

"So fit in some fun stuff. But I gave myself a good 10 days to enjoy myself and then thought it was, you know, I needed to get back on the range and start to practice and get ready for this stretch coming up."

McIlroy plays alongside Matt Fitzpatrick for the opening two rounds at Quail Hollow.

The PGA Tour’s one trip north of the US border in 2026 comes with the RBC Canadian Open, which takes place between June 11th and 14th.

However, one player who appears set to skip this year’s edition, which will be held at TPC Toronto, is two-time winner Rory McIlroy.

A media day for the tournament was held by officials on Monday, where big names to appear were confirmed, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa, but McIlroy wasn’t among them.

Players have until Friday June 5th to enter, so there’s still a chance McIlroy will commit, although tournament director Ryan Paul revealed he is satisfied with the quality of the field, regardless of what McIlroy chooses to do.

He said: “We’d obviously love to have him and if he commits, that would be phenomenal, but right now we are beyond pleased with the quality of names that are highlighting our crop of players this year.”

Nevertheless, it seems likely McIlroy will opt against appearing at the event, despite playing in the previous five editions.

McIlroy won the RBC Canadian Open in his maiden appearance in 2019, when he cruised to victory by seven over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he returned in 2022 to defend his title and beat Tony Finau by two.

McIlroy performed well in his next two appearances as well, placing T9 in 2023 and T4 in 2024. However, in 2025, he endured a torrid eight-over par 78 in the second round on the way to missing the cut at the same venue as this year's edition.

If McIlroy does skip the event, which comes one week before the US Open, it would be in keeping with his preparations for April’s Masters, where he didn’t play in the weeks leading up to the Major.

McIlroy stepped away for almost a month after appearing at The Players Championship, instead using the time to visit Augusta National as part of his preparations. The tactic clearly worked, as McIlroy secured back-to-back titles at the event.

It’s been a similar story for McIlroy since that achievement, where he will only return to competitive action one week before the PGA Championship when he plays in the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times.

While McIlroy seems unlikely to appear at the RBC Canadian Open, plenty of other big names will be joining Fitzpatrick, Koepka and Morikawa at the event.

They include Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Burns, Jacob Bridgeman and Lowry as well as Canadians Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith and Nick Taylor.

The Truist Championship is the sixth of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events.

As a result, a world-class field will be in attendance, including Cadillac Championship winner Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick, who has three PGA Tour victories this season.

However, most of the attention will surely be on Rory McIlroy, and not just because the event will be his first appearance since he claimed back-to-back Masters titles.

The tournament, which was named the Wells Fargo Championship until the 2025 edition, returns to its home of Quail Hollow in 2026 following a one-year excursion to Philadelphia Cricket Club.

That is sure to have whetted the appetite of McIlroy, because his record at the North Carolina venue is second to none.

McIlroy’s first competitive appearance at Quail Hollow came in 2010.

It is surely an occasion he still looks back on with fond memories, as that year’s Quail Hollow Championship gave him his maiden PGA Tour win, when he beat Phil Mickelson by four. McIlroy's performance included a course record 62 in the final round.

While that would be far from the only time he would triumph at the venue, there was a rare misstep from McIlroy at Quail Hollow in the defence of his title a year later, when he missed the cut before Lucas Glover beat Jonathan Byrd in a playoff.

McIlroy almost bounced back in the best possible way at the 2012 tournament, which had by then become the Wells Fargo Championship.

However, in a playoff with Rickie Fowler and DA Points, it was Fowler who emerged with the win.

Another solid performance in 2013 saw McIlroy place T10 as Derek Ernst took the honors, before he finished T8 in 2014 as JB Holmes beat Jim Furyk by one.

That run suggested more wins were to come for McIlroy at the layout, and in 2015, he proved it in style.

That year, he beat his own course record with a 61 in the third round as he got the better of Patrick Rodgers and Webb Simpson by a tournament-record seven shots to finish on 21-under.

McIlroy wasn’t able to successfully defend his title in 2016, but he came close, finishing T4 as James Hahn claimed victory.

A year later, the Wells Fargo Championship came from Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington because Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship.

Given his record, McIlroy must have been confident of his third title at the Major, but instead, he placed T22 as Justin Thomas won.

The Wells Fargo Championship returned to Quail Hollow in 2018, where McIlroy finished T16 as Jason Day won the title.

A year later, McIlroy was back in the top 10 with a T8 as he finished eight back of winner Max Homa.

The tournament was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but when it returned in 2021, McIlroy claimed his third win at the event, and Quail Hollow, beating Abraham Ancer by one.

In 2022, the Wells Fargo Championship was held at TPC Potomac as Quail Hollow was prepared for the Presidents Cup, and when it returned in 2023, McIlroy had his worst week at the venue since missing the cut 12 years earlier, placing T47.

The following year, he put that disappointment behind him with a final round of 65 to beat Xander Schauffele by five for his fourth victory at the venue.

Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship for the second time in eight years in 2025, and hopes were high that McIlroy would lift the Wanamaker Trophy, particularly as the event came just a month after his first Major title for over a decade at The Masters.

In the end, it wasn’t the happiest week for McIlroy as, not only did he finish T47, but he was also the subject of controversy when news was leaked during the tournament that his driver failed a test, forcing him to make a change.

Of course, nothing is certain as McIlroy prepares for his latest appearance at Quail Hollow, but with four wins and five other top-10 finishes in his previous 14 starts at the layout, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he achieves even more success there at the 2026 Truist Championship.

Rory McIlroy’s Record At Quail Hollow

Following an appearance in the long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2 last year, Rory McIlroy has made his latest acting cameo - this time in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

The Northern Irishman was among a series of world-famous special guests who dropped into the hotly anticipated Hollywood blockbuster, including NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns, music icon Lady Gaga and fashion powerhouse Anna Wintour.

Popular actress Sydney Sweeney saw her three-minute scene cut from the final edit, however, proving McIlroy and his wife Erica's inclusion was no small feat.

In the film, the McIlroys appear at a Met Gala-style party, with roughly 10-15 seconds of airtime alongside other dressed-up guests who are waiting for central characters Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.

The fact the World No.2 was included in the film alongside his wife came as a surprise, with no forewarning from McIlroy, his representatives or the franchise's PR team.

It was only during The Devil Wears Prada 2's European premiere in London at the weekend that director David Frankel was able to explain how the idea to include McIlroy arrived.

Discussing the number of impressive cameos in the movie, Frankel said: “Well, the one I was most excited for will surprise isn’t even in the world of fashion. I mean I loved having Rory McIlroy. He was a great sport. A very good actor."

So how did McIlroy land the role? Why was he even considered? Apparently, an interview at TPC Sawgrass in March 2025 contains the answer.

After defeating JJ Spaun in a playoff to win The Players Championship last year, McIlroy shared how he responded to the initial disappointment of failing to win it outright after 72 holes.

He said at the time: “Yeah, I would say I was a little disappointed last night, but I also was mindful that I couldn't feel that way, that I needed to reset.

"Once I got back to the hotel, I just tried to sort of forget about it and had some room service, watched a little bit of Devil Wears Prada and went to bed. That was basically it."

Frankel revealed he had seen this interview and consequently wanted to bring the golfing superstar on board.

He continued: “You know, it was triggered because last year, right before he won the Players Championship, the press asked him what he did to relax the night before he won the tournament, and he said he watched “The Devil Wears Prada. I knew we had a fan.”

McIlroy's next appearance on stage will arrive at next week's Truist Championship, and all the action will be live and unedited - probably how the five-time Major winner prefers it.

It's safe to say that Quail Hollow has been a happy hunting ground for Rory McIlroy in the past, earning four victories at the course throughout his career.

For 2026, the Truist Championship returns to the lay-out after a brief stint at Philadelphia Cricket Club, and McIlroy is to make his competitive return to action after taking a break following his Masters win in April.

Having not featured at either the RBC Heritage or Cadillac Championship Signature Events, or indeed the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, McIlroy will be the star name in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Taking place a mere few hours away from Augusta National, it'll be the first tournament the 36-year-old has played since he became the fourth player in history to defend The Masters.

Earning a one shot win to secure his sixth Major, McIlroy's nearest challenger that week, Scottie Scheffler, won't be present, as the World No.1 takes a week off following three events in four weeks.

Last year, Quail Hollow staged the PGA Championship instead of the Truist Championship, and, at that Major, Scheffler dominated proceedings, forging out a five shot win over Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley.

This year, Quail Hollow returns in a Signature Event role, and will play as the starter for the main course of the PGA Championship, which takes place the week after at Aronimink Golf Club.

Much has been made of the 2026 PGA Tour schedule and, since The Masters, three Signature Events are taking place in a four week stretch, with notable names prioritizing their scheduled starts.

The PGA Tour returned to Trump National Doral for the first time in a decade but, despite this, notable names, including McIlroy, opted to skip the $20 million Cadillac Championship.

Major season is upon us and, consequently, with such a tight schedule, some will want to play the week before a Major, while some won't.

Scheffler falls into the won't camp, as he skips the Truist Championship. For the majority, though, they will be present in Charlotte, where a 72-man field will get some competitive reps in at the no-cut event.

Truist Championship Full Field

• Ludvig Aberg
• Harris English
• Nicolai Hojgaard
• Rory McIlroy
• Jordan Spieth
• Daniel Berger
• Tony Finau
• Max Homa
• Maverick McNealy
• Sam Stevens
• Akshay Bhatia
• Alex Fitzpatrick
• Viktor Hovland
• Collin Morikawa
• Sepp Straka
• Chandler Blanchet
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Mackenzie Hughes
• Alex Noren
• Nick Taylor
• Keegan Bradley
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Sungjae Im
• Andrew Novak
• Sahith Theegala
• Jacob Bridgeman
• Rickie Fowler
• Michael Kim
• Taylor Pendrith
• Justin Thomas
• Sam Burns
• Ryan Fox
• Si Woo Kim
• JT Poston
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Brian Campbell
• Ryan Gerard
• Kurt Kitayama
• Aldrich Potgieter
• Matt Wallace
• Patrick Cantlay
• Lucas Glover
• Jake Knapp
• Patrick Rodgers
• Gary Woodland
• Ricky Castillo
• Chris Gotterup
• Min Woo Lee
• Justin Rose
• Sudarshan Yellamaraju
• Bud Cauley
• Ben Griffin
• David Lipsky
• Xander Schauffele
• Cameron Young
• Corey Conners
• Harry Hall
• Robert MacIntyre
• Adam Scott
• Pierceson Coody
• Brian Harman
• Hideki Matsuyama
• Alex Smalley
• Jason Day
• Ryo Hisatsune
• Denny McCarthy
• Austin Smotherman
• Nico Echavarria
• Tom Hoge
• Matt McCarty
• JJ Spaun

US President Donald Trump broke off from a hugely important White House state dinner speech to sing the praises of Rory McIlroy.

The President is hosting King Charles III and Queen Camilla in a state visit to the United States, but couldn't help but turn to golf talk during a grand banquet speech.

It what is a monumental visit by the King and Queen to try and keep the special relationship between the UK and the USA alive, every word of every speech from both parties is important.

But as President Trump so often does, he took a turn away from his carefully scripted words to freestyle about McIlroy's Masters victory - with the Northern Irishman himself in attendance.

As Trump went about his grand speech, he said: “The entire world has been uplifted by this distinct and special character we share. This unstoppable daring, this unconquerable courage. It really is, it’s unconquerable..."

But then the image of McIlroy winning back-to-back Green Jackets at Augusta National must have popped into Trump's mind.

“Speaking of that, where’s Rory McIlroy? Can you stand up Rory, will you, please?

“That was unconquerable courage. That was very good Rory. I don’t know if that helps him talking about how wonderful the speech… but I had to interrupt my speech because I watched that man win a tournament that was a tough one.

“Congratulations, very proud of you.”

McIlroy did indeed stand up in front of a room full of dignitaries to take a the acclaim for his efforts.

The praise for McIlroy comes even though the Grand Slam winner is skipping the upcoming Cadillac Championship at Trump-owned Doral.

Trump National Doral hosts the latest Signature Event this week in the course's first PGA Tour event in a decade.

But perhaps due to schedulling issues, a host of big names are missing the Cadillac Championship in Miami.

McIlroy, who also missed the RBC Heritage and hasn't played since his victory at Augusta, is joined by the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Robert MacIntyre ​and Ludvig Aberg all missing the $20m Signature Event.

But Trump didn't sound too upset by it judging by his words of praise, with him well known for being a big fan of McIlroy.

We'll have to wait at least another week until we see Rory McIlroy back on the golf course after the Masters champion opted to skip the upcoming Cadillac Championship.

It was not at all surprising that McIlroy missed the RBC Heritage earlier this month. It's an event the Northern Irishman has never been keen on and is not necessarily one he has to play.

However, another Signature Event has now failed to make his calendar for the year, which is far more of a surprise.

Next week, the inaugural Cadillac Championship will take place at Donald Trump's renowned golf course, The Blue Monster in Miami.

McIlroy's name is not on the list of players involved, though. Given the tournament comes with a $20m prize purse, that decision has raised some eyebrows.

The Blue Monster at Trump National Doral has not been used on the PGA Tour in 10 years, and McIlroy's absence will be felt.

Funnily enough, in 2015, McIlroy served up a memorable moment at Doral when he launched his 3-iron into the lake during the second round. He also finished T3rd there in 2016, so it's a course with a mixed history for the 36-year-old.

The fact this is the second Signature Event he's skipped in a row also gives us a good insight into McIlroy's motivations from here on out, with Major glory surely now his main focus.

What's more, the PGA Tour calendar is stacked with prestigious events in the coming weeks, and we'll likely see McIlroy teeing up at Quail Hollow for the Truist Championship on May 7.

That Signature Event will be ideal preparation for the PGA Championship the following week, as McIlroy goes on the hunt for another Major title.

Signature Events are designed to attract the best golfers in the world, but McIlroy is not the only top player choosing to give this one a miss.

The likes of Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, and Robert MacIntyre won't be there for the event, either.

Fitzpatrick will have played ten events this year after completing the Zurich Classic this weekend, so it figures that he's taking a break.

This is also a scheduled break for Aberg, while MacIntyre told the press at a Scottish Open media day that plans to stay in Oban and see his family.

We won't get to see Rory McIlroy do a victory lap at Harbour Town this weekend in the wake of his Masters victory.

The Northern Irishman is one of many big names who won't be playing the RBC Heritage, but his attendance at the event was never to be expected anyway.

McIlroy's decision to skip the Signature Event was confirmed last week prior to his win at Augusta National.

Some may think that McIlroy opts out of the tournament due to its proximity to The Masters as he seeks time off to celebrate and unwind, but it doesn't really have anything to do with scheduling.

In fact, the RBC Heritage is just an event that McIlroy does not enjoy and does not feel suits his game at all.

Back in 2020, after finishing T41 at Harbour Town, McIlroy all but confirmed the RBC Heritage would never be a regular part of his annual schedule.

He said: "Once I got here and I played the golf course, I sort of remembered why I haven't been here for a while. It's tough.

"It's a lovely place. There's other courses on Tour that probably fit my game a little bit better and obviously the week after the Masters is always a tough one.

"Guys like to come here and decompress, but my idea of decompression is not seeing golf clubs for a week."

On that poor showing in 2020, he added: "I got off to a decent start and then the ball in the water on four just stopped any momentum. I played okay after that, I guess. I birdied nine and then birdied a couple coming in on the homestretch.

"It's fine. It's one of those weeks where, obviously, low scores, very bunched. You had to hole a lot of putts and I didn't over the week. But I'm still pretty happy with how I played."

Interestingly, McIlroy was even fined $3m for bowing out of the event in 2023. At the time, the PGA Tour insisted players only miss one Signature Event per season, and that was McIlroy's second of the year (he also skipped the Sentry Tournament of Champions).

That $3m came out of his end-of-season Player Impact Program bonus money.

While we won't see McIlroy at Harbour Town, and Justin Rose has withdrawn from the RBC Heritage, too, there are still some big names in what is a stacked field this weekend.

A total of 17 of the world's top 20 will be present, including defending champion Justin Thomas and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

In total, 10 extra players have been added to the RBC Heritage line-up after the PGA Tour announced winners of events in 2025 (who were outside the top 50 in the FedExCup standings) would be invited to Harbour Town in lieu of playing at The Sentry, which was canceled this year.

Other notable players taking part include Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, and the in-form Cameron Young.

In early 2025, Rory McIlroy outlined his three remaining career goals, telling BBC Sport: “Winning The Masters, winning an Olympic medal and another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career.”

Within months, he had achieved the first of those with The Masters title to complete his career Grand Slam. Less than six months later, the second was chalked off when he was an integral part of the European team that beat the US at the Bethpage Black Ryder Cup.

That left an Olympic medal, with McIlroy’s next opportunity to secure it coming around in 2028 at Riviera Country Club.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was asked for an update a year later in his press conference for the Dubai Desert Classic.

On that occasion, he said: "Yeah, Olympic medal. Open at St Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a US Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses - whether it's Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, Merion."

Following his first Masters win, McIlroy struggled to motivate himself for a time, but he admitted at Augusta National a year later that it took him some time to realise that the win wasn’t a destination, but part of his journey in the game.

Later that week, he sealed the title again, becoming the first player to win it back-to-back since Tiger Woods in 2002.

In his press conference following his latest win, McIlroy said: “I don’t think I'll go through that lull of motivation or the sort of things that I was feeling last year post-winning this tournament.”

It appears McIlroy seems as switched on as ever to the idea that, still in his prime, he can cement a legacy as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

So what else can he realistically achieve over the remainder of his career? Let's take a look...

A Masters ‘Three-Peat’

It’s early days since McIlroy’s latest Masters success, with even the man himself missing the RBC Heritage as he processes the magnitude of the victory.

Still, it didn’t take long for some to wonder whether, after becoming just the fourth player to win the title back-to-back, he might become the first to win it three times in a row.

The notion has even come into six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus’ thoughts. He wrote on Instagram: “The monkey came off your back last year, and now, all of a sudden, you are the only guy who has a chance to three-peat.”

Given the way he blew the field away to race into a six-shot lead at the halfway stage, plus the relatively assured way he dealt with the pressure in the final round of his latest win, you can’t write it off.

Winning An Olympic Gold Medal

The third opportunity of McIlroy's career to win gold at the Olympics representing Ireland comes around just two years from now.

McIlroy finished tied for third in his first Olympics appearance before losing in a seven-man playoff for the bronze medal.

At Le Golf National in 2024, he performed well again, placing T5 as Scottie Scheffler won the gold medal.

McIlroy will still be in his 30s when the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics comes around, suggesting that, even if he misses out again, there will be other opportunities.

However, with the Olympics in the US, where he plays most of his golf, it surely represents as good a chance as any, and he’ll be determined to get it done at Riviera, where he is still looking for his first victory.

Becoming The Top Ryder Cup Points Scorer

McIlroy earned 3.5 points at Bethpage Black, taking his overall Ryder Cup haul to 21.5 points. That leaves him seven behind the all-time leading points scorer, Sergio Garcia.

It’s debatable as to whether we’ll see the Spaniard play another Ryder Cup, while only Lee Westwood of the players between McIlroy and Garcia on the list of the highest points scorers still plays at the top level.

If McIlroy puts in another strong performance at Adare Manor in 2027, the gap to Garcia will shrink considerably if the LIV Golfer misses out, and surely the target would then come firmly into his sights, assuming it hasn't already.

Winning The Most Majors By A European

After winning his second Green Jacket, McIlroy’s name came firmly into the debate on whether he is the greatest European golfer of all time, including from Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

Even with so much of his career ahead of him, the numbers suggest his record is already more impressive than European legends Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. However, surely Majors are where it really counts.

McIlroy’s latest Masters title drew him level with Faldo on six titles, with Jersey-born Harry Vardon the only other European to win more over his career, with seven.

With McIlroy two adrift of the lead and with surely dozens more Major appearances ahead of him before winning gets out of reach, it seems a matter of when, not if, he will surpass Vardon’s total.

Winning A Second Career Grand Slam

When McIlroy won his second Masters title, it took him halfway to his second career Grand Slam.

That’s because he had already won the PGA Championship twice, leaving him needing just one more US Open win and one more at The Open to collect all four for the second time.

McIlroy has a recent history of coming close in both events, with six top 10s in his last seven US Opens and three in his last four appearances at The Open.

He also arguably should have won The Open in 2022, having been four clear of eventual winner Cameron Smith after 54 holes, while he appeared to have one hand on the US Open trophy in 2024 before a back-nine collapse handed the initiative to Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy’s two Masters titles seem to have laid to rest any psychological demons he had in closing out Major titles, though, so next time he’s in a winning position in either, you would expect him to get it done.

Winning The Open At The Home Of Golf

Had McIlroy won The Open in 2022, he would now have a Major title to his name at the Home of Golf, the Old Course at St Andrews.

As it is, the one time he has won the Claret Jug so far in his career came at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

He won’t have to wait long until he gets another chance to win the title at the Old Course, though, with The Open returning in 2027.

Before that, he’ll get the opportunity to claim his latest Open win at the 2026 edition at Royal Birkdale.

Winning The Most European Tour Order Of Merits

McIlroy missed out on his fourth DP World Tour Championship title in 2025, with Matt Fitzpatrick take the honors, but his playoff defeat to the Englishman still earned him his latest Race to Dubai title.

That was the seventh time McIlroy has won the Harry Vardon Trophy, surpassing Seve Ballesteros, while only one player has won it more times, Colin Montgomerie, with eight.

Despite a busy PGA Tour schedule, McIlroy also takes the DP World Tour seriously, as evidenced by the fact that his most recent four Harry Vardon trophy wins have come in the last four years.

Given that, it’s barely conceivable that McIlroy won’t catch Montgomerie before passing him in the next few years.

He could even match his record in 2026, as he’s currently second behind Patrick Reed in the rankings.

Winning On Every Continent

McIlroy’s Masters win was the 45th of his pro career, with victories coming in North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia along the way.

However, he has yet to win on one continent that stages elite-level golf, Africa. That could all change down the line if he begins focusing more on his DP World Tour schedule, which stages some big events in South Africa, in particular.

Reaching The Top 10 Of All-Time PGA Tour Wins

McIlroy is unlikely to top the list of most PGA Tour wins, with Tiger Woods and Sam Snead out in front with 82 to McIlroy's 30.

However, it is likely he will reach the top 10. In the final position at the moment are Cary Middlecoff and Tom Watson, with 39 wins each.

McIlroy's most recent nine PGA Tour wins have come within the last four years, so if he continues at that pace, he'll make it before his 41st birthday.

Reaching The Top Of The PGA Tour Career Money List

There is a very strong possibility that McIlroy could become the PGA Tour’s career money list leader in 2026 – although whether he would keep the position for long is debatable.

Following his Masters win, he remained in second place, less than $6m behind leader Tiger Woods with career earnings of $114,696,641.

If Woods plays at all this season, it will likely only be in a few events, giving McIlroy every chance of surpassing him.

However, right behind McIlroy is Scottie Scheffler with earnings of over $105m, meaning that, in the not-too-distant future, he too could be within touching distance of the top spot.

What Else?

Some other achievements will be on McIlroy's radar too...

• Winning The Open at Royal Portrush
• Winning the Genesis Invitational
• Winning the Memorial Tournament and receiving a handshake from Jack Nicklaus
• Matching Nicklaus' record of three Players Championship wins
• Winning in Abu Dhabi
• Winning in continental Europe

Immediately following Rory McIlroy's second win at The Masters, congratulations arrived from all over the world as people recognized what an incredible achievement they had just witnessed.

Not long after that, the analysis began. Plenty of experts noted that McIlroy didn't appear to have his 'A game' but still managed to come out on top.

Meanwhile, others waxed lyrical about how Augusta National had produced a near-perfect set-up of the course to bunch the leaderboard and maintain an interesting spectacle for as long as possible.

Also among the reaction was a line about McIlroy's preparation. The six-time Major winner hadn't completed a competitive round since The Players Championship - partly due to a scheduling choice and partly due to a "stubborn" back issue.

But the fact that the Northern Irishman wasn't appearing on the PGA Tour allowed him the chance to frequent Augusta National's fairways on a whim - one of the many perks earned by claiming a Green Jacket.

Speaking after opening up a six-shot lead at the end of round two, McIlroy shared why his preparation looked the way it did and why he designed it that way.

He said: "I honestly just don't like the three tournaments leading up to this event. I'd rather come up here.

"I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her -- or had dinner with Erica probably.

"Like I did a couple of day trips like that where I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio.

"It wasn't really about conserving energy, but just I felt the more time I could spend up here, the better."

And so it proved. Via a number of hairy moments, McIlroy wrapped up Masters title number two by one stroke.

Explaining how he managed to go back-to-back after waiting so long for a first Green Jacket, McIlroy suggested a more intense and frequent look at Augusta National massively aided him.

During his winner's press conference, McIlroy said: "I joked last week and going into this week that this place feels like my home course. I haven't played anywhere else in the last two or three weeks really. I felt prepared in that way.

"I felt prepared that wherever I hit it on the golf course, I sort of know what to do. I know where to miss. I'm pretty comfortable with all the shots around the greens. Yeah, I think it's a good blueprint."

While the plan worked perfectly for McIlroy, some claimed the defending champion possessed an "unfair advantage" by being able to access Augusta National that often.

In actual fact, McIlroy did not have exclusive access unavailable to others as everyone who receives an invitation to play The Masters can head over to Augusta almost as many times as they want for practice rounds in the lead-up.

And that was something Kevin Kisner was keen to point out while speaking on Barstool Sports' Fore Play pod earlier this week.

The eight-time Masters participant said: "As soon as you get your invitation, you're a welcome guest. You obviously just have to call and set it up with the pro shop.

"I've heard that they tell you how many times you can come. Like, if somebody is coming every week, every day, then they're like 'alright bud, you've been here 15 times, that's enough for this leading up to it.'

"But I can guarantee you they're not going to tell the defending champion 'hey, you can't bring your G650 (private jet) up here on Tuesday morning and leave Tuesday afternoon every day this week.

"And when Rory's mentioning that, I don't think he means that he's been up there 20 times in the last three weeks, I think he means 'I came up here four times.'

"And one of the days I played over there, he was there. He literally just played 18 holes and had lunch. He literally did do exactly what he said.

"But who cares how many times he went? Everybody else can go just as much as they want, they just can't beat him.

"I would look at Rory this week with like a B- to a B+ game and still won The Masters. That whole thing, Trent, to your point, I don't think it matters at all. I thought it was the dumbest argument I’ve ever seen in my life. People just don't understand."

Echoing Kisner's point was PGA Tour pro, Michael Kim - who played his third Masters in 2026 but missed the cut.

The 2018 John Deere Classic winner quote-posted ESPN's First Take show on X with a reply which contradicted Stephen A. Smith's suggestion that McIlroy had an unfair advantage.

Kim wrote: "Yes, there’s a number of rounds that ANGC will say no to for me to go by myself and play by myself. That number is prob a little lower for me than a guy like Rory. [But] If you find a member to host you every time, there’s no limit.

"I had plenty of chances to go to ANGC myself if I wanted to but didn’t go. Better use of my time practicing at home or wherever I am to get my game in better shape for my next tournament.

"Course knowledge only gets you so far. Plenty of golfers have even more experience at Augusta than Rory like Justin Rose."

Kim then followed up by posting: "It is not unfair or an advantage people. It’s irrelevant to the result is my point. I guess my writing need to get better."

What do you make of the 'unfair advantage' argument? Let us know in the comments box below.

It wasn’t quite as dramatic as a year ago, when Rory McIlroy took fans on a rollercoaster ride before completing his career Grand Slam at The Masters, but his successful defence of the title in 2026 was still very special indeed.

As well as McIlroy’s latest Augusta National victory handing him his sixth Major title, which drew him level with Lee Trevino, Sir Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson, it was also the first back-to-back Masters triumph since Tiger Woods in 2002.

Not surprisingly, McIlroy’s victory generated plenty of reaction on social media, with fellow golfers and famous faces from elsewhere congratulating the 36-year-old on social media.

US president Donald Trump led the praise. On his Truth Social account, with a message reposted on X by The White House, he wrote: “Congratulations to Rory McIlroy on another Great Championship, The Masters!

“He performed tremendously under intense pressure, something which few people would be able to even think about doing. With each year, Rory is becoming more and more a LEGEND!

“I look forward to watching him compete in two weeks at Doral. The quality of Professional Golfers today has become extraordinary, each and every one of them. They should all be proud of the way they played at The Masters this weekend! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Trump wasn’t the only global figurehead with praise for McIlroy, with the British Royal Family’s X account posting: “Congratulations @McIlroyRory on your extraordinary back-to-back win at @TheMasters!”

Manchester United soccer club perhaps doesn't quite have the same influence, but it’s an institution close to McIlroy’s heart, who is a big fan of the Red Devils.

The official account posted: “So nice he had to do it twice.”

Staying in the soccer world, former England defender Rio Ferdinand also offered his congratulations, writing: “Back to Back @McIlroyRory. Love to see it! Congratulations.”

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky had his say on McIlroy’s latest Masters win, too, writing: “Rory Best Euro ever? Top 10 golfer ever? What a stud.”

Naturally, high-profile figures from the golf world were also on hand to praise McIlroy, including six-time winner Jack Nicklaus.

As part of a lengthy post on Instagram, he wrote: “What a wonderful @themasters win for @rorymcilroy! Congratulations, Rory, on back-to-back Green Jackets! You played like a guy who has already won a Masters championship, which is relaxed, free, and confident.

"The monkey came off your back last year, and now, all of a sudden, you are the only guy who has a chance to three-peat!”

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson had his say, too. He wrote on X: “Congrats to @McIlroyRory for an exciting @TheMasters win. Back to back is simply remarkable.”

The Golf Channel’s Paul McGinley wrote: “Terrific win again for Rory in a brilliant Masters - his resilience, for me, as impressive as his talent.”

McGinley was McIlroy’s captain at the 2014 Ryder Cup. Nowadays, that role is Luke Donald’s, and he also praised him, writing that he saying he is the best player Europe has ever produced.

He wrote: “Tying Seve with 2 green jackets will mean a lot to Rory. He is undoubtedly the best European golfer of all time now. Congratulations @McIlroyRory.”

One of the players McIlroy got the better of to win The Masters was the man he beat in a playoff a year ago, Justin Rose.

Rose is the nearly man of The Masters, having finished runner-up three times, while he led during the second round before letting his latest chance get away.

However, he vowed to keep on trying, and congratulated McIlroy, writing: “I’ll just keep knocking on that door. See you next year Augusta! Congratulations @McIlroyRory going back-to-back. Thank you for all the support.”

A year ago, Nike released an advertisement immediately after McIlroy’s victory that showed a Green Jacket hanging in a dry cleaner's with the winner’s name on it.

His apparel sponsor was quick off the mark again, this time with a video on winning more than one Green Jacket, alongside the caption: “No alterations needed. @McIlroyRory proves he is tailored for the moment, securing back-to-back jackets at Augusta.”

Rory McIlroy is the talk of the golfing world once again after he triumphed at Augusta National to claim back-to-back Masters titles, but his mother is also making headlines.

The Northern Irishman held the lead throughout the tournament, going wire-to-wire after a strong start. He may have suffered a bit of a wobble on Saturday and in the early stages of Sunday, but McIlroy picked up the pace again on the back nine just as he did last year.

McIlroy was excited to celebrate with family after retaining his crown at Augusta, but it seems his mom was still living off the high of his 2025 victory.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted a very interesting handbag by the feet of Rosie McIlroy as she was sitting behind the 18th hole watching her son hit the home stretch.

A closer inspection reveals the handbag is actually made up of newspaper articles and clippings from McIlroy's momentous win at The Masters from last year to claim the Career Grand Slam.

Golf fans were naturally charmed by this very sweet gesture from Rosie and shared the love on social media.

One wrote, "That’s what amazing mums do," while another said, "There is literally nothing not awesome about this."

A third added: "Amazing thing to have. Great idea."

It seems the bag was made and gifted to Rosie by a company called Couture Planet, who work with upcycled newspaper to create their designs.

The viral celebration of McIlroy and his family sums up just how special it was for him to have his parents at Augusta this year, after they didn't attend the event in 2025.

Speaking to the media after his victory on Sunday, McIlroy reiterated how happy he was to have Rosie and his dad, Gerry there cheering him on.

"I caught myself on the golf course a couple of times thinking about them, and I was like no, not yet. It's really cool to have them here.

"They missed it last year, and the first thing I wanted to do was fly home to see them because I obviously wouldn't be sitting up here if it wasn't for them. I had to sort of convince them to come this year because they thought the reason I won last year was because they weren't here.

"I said on the putting green that I'm glad we proved that wrong, so they can keep coming as long as they want. It's amazing to have them here."

The Masters and Rory McIlroy have been inextricably linked since the Northern Irishman lifted The Open Championship in 2014.

For more than a decade, McIlroy's desire to complete the career grand slam had seemingly consumed him and it was regularly earmarked as one of the few remaining goals he had yet to tick off.

Even before that, the World No.2 had his chance to create history when blowing a sizable advantage at Augusta National in 2011.

Between that fateful day and 14 years later, McIlroy had several chances to remove the monkey from his back. Yet, fate would always intervene to ensure it never happened.

Nevertheless, his time would come and that first Masters victory finally arrived in 2025. Then, as is so often the way, a second triumph followed a mere 12 months later.

McIlroy's first Masters win brought him so many of the perks he had always longed for - none more so than a maiden Green Jacket.

It also led to a winner's check of $4.2 million, which isn't a bad addition if you ask me.

As a result of that significant addition to his bank balance, McIlroy rocketed up the list featuring the highest Masters earners of all time and into third behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at the top.

That was before his second Masters victory in 2026. The Masters announced its total payout at the 90th playing had been increased from $21 million to $22.5 million, with a $4.5 million prize awaiting the winner.

Therefore, in the space of just over a year, McIlroy's total earnings at Augusta National exploded from a modest $4.3 million in 16 starts to a shade above $13 million - making him the highest earner in Masters history.

As an aside, Scottie Scheffler - who was runner-up in 2026 and had already won in both 2022 and 2024 - is now second on the all-time earning list at Augusta National with more than $10 million picked up at the year's first men's Major.

Mainly due to the never-ending increase of modern-day purses, as well as natural inflation, the list of highest earners at The Masters is dominated by active professionals.

Jack Nicklaus has won the most Masters titles ever with six, yet his half a dozen victories between 1963-1986 secured him just $269,000.

Even with the rest of his 37 made cuts included, the Golden Bear didn't even come close to collecting seven figures from the Augusta National championship.

Meanwhile, with the exception of Justin Rose, every other man in the top-10 has competed at and won The Masters since 2010.

However, no one has won more money than McIlroy at The Masters in the tournament's entire history.

TOP-10 HIGHEST EARNERS IN MASTERS HISTORY

RORY MCILROY CAREER MASTERS EARNINGS

April is not only Masters month for the world of golf, it's also a time to reflect on the past financial year and see which golfers have earned the most money.

With massive prize funds given out each week across the PGA Tour, the LIV Golf League and the DP World Tour, the best players in the world are racking up huge bank balances throughout the season.

Rory McIlroy has just added another $4.5m to his career earnings thanks to his incredible triumph at Augusta National. That'll give him a nice head start for next year's totals, but it doesn't help him surpass one other golfer for the 2025-26 tax year.

The data comes from Sportico, breaking down the earnings of the top-10 highest paid golfers in the world, with details as to how much they earned on the course and off it through sponsorship deals and the like.

McIlroy was in the top two, and led the way in off-course income, but it's actually Jon Rahm who earned the most in total for the last year.

Rahm benefits massively from his contract with LIV, of course. It is though the Spaniard was offered $300m to join the breakaway tour, with half paid upfront and the other $150m paid equally across the years of his contract.

Last year, Rahm is said to have earned a total of $102m, and is the only golfer to break the $100m barrier. Of that figure, $92m came from on-course earnings, with another $10m in sponsorship payments.

The 31-year-old didn't actually win an event throughout the LIV Golf season in 2025, but he still claimed enough points to come out on top in the individual leaderboard. That earned him a massive $18m, which is exactly how much he beat McIlroy by in the money charts.

McIlroy is arguably the most marketable golfer in the world, especially after his remarkable double Masters win. It speaks volumes that McIlroy's net worth was thought to be around $294m in 2023, and will be much higher now.

But, for 2025-26, he is reported to have earned $84m from golf. $29m of that comes from event payouts, while a whopping $55m comes from off-course deals. That actually makes McIlroy the leader in commercial income, narrowly beating Tiger Woods.

Still, McIlroy's closest competitor is Scottie Scheffler, who recorded $81m in earnings last year. Not surprisingly, given his dominance on the Tour, $51m of that came from winnings on the course, while he's thought to have earned a huge $30m from sponsorship deals with the likes of Turtlebox, Nike, TaylorMade, and Huntington Bank.

Looking elsewhere, there's quite a gap between that top three and the rest of the top-10 highest paid golfers. Bryson DeChambeau is next in line, but his earnings stood at around $65m, with $45m of that coming from his lucrative deal with LIV.

Woods, as we mentioned, is the second highest-earner when it comes to commercial deals. $54m of his total came from that side of the game, while only $200,000 was earned from his performances on the course.

Rounding out the rest of the top-10, Tommy Fleetwood enjoyed a successful year thanks to his Tour Championship win in August. That netted the Englishman a mega $10m payout which contributed to his $42m earnings.

Joaquin Niemann is the third and final LIV golfer in the top 10. The Chilean won five events last year, so it's not surprising that he's up there, with earnings of $41m in total.

Beyond that, we have Hideki Matsuyama sitting at $31m. That's largely thanks to his endorsement portfolio, which contributed $25m. Xander Schauffele ($30m) and Collin Morikawa ($28m) complete the list.

Highest-Paid Golfers 2025-26

Cameron Young came up short in his battle with Rory McIlroy on the final day of The Masters and had to watch the Northern Irishman claim the title at Augusta National right in front of him.

Going into Sunday, Young had gone level with McIlroy on -11 after three rounds. With the momentum behind the American, many fancied Young to go all the way.

However, a tricky final round, including three bogeys between holes six through nine, cost Young and saw him drop to T3 in the end.

Young was front and center for a moment of golfing history as McIlroy secured back-to-back Masters titles.

By the sounds of it, the pair didn't converse much in the process of that final round - but Young isn't taking it personally.

Speaking in the aftermath of the tournament, Young said: "I'm not one to talk a ton to begin with, and I don't think he really wanted to talk to me.

"Sunday at the Masters in the final group, you know, I don't wish anything poorly on the guy, but we're playing against each other. We're not trying to be best friends out there.

"It's just one of those times that you leave each other be and if there is a moment [you talk] - there were one or two but not many."

This is nothing new for McIlroy, of course. Last year, it was well-documented that McIlroy didn't speak to Bryson DeChambeau during their final round at Augusta.

For Young, it was a case of close but no cigar, but it sounds like the 28-year-old has learned a lot from the experience.

During his interview, he reflected on his performance, adding: "I think I handled it fine, just didn't make anything. That's the story of the week, if you look through all four rounds.

"I feel like I played the golf I needed to. I just didn't have the day making anything at all.

"There is no negative to take away other than obviously I would've loved a different result.

"But in terms of the golf, I played plenty well enough to win today and plenty well enough to win by a couple I think. So it was just one of those days."

Young has already qualified for the 2027 edition of The Masters, and if he plays like he did this weekend, he'll be right up there again next year.

It was a thrilling final day at The Masters this year once again, with Rory McIlroy prevailing once more at Augusta National to secure back-to-back titles.

Despite pressure from Justin Rose, Cameron Young, and a resurgent Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy showed his dominance and wrapped things up on the 18th hole.

While the atmosphere at Augusta was electric, spectators at home complained that the TV coverage was sub-par down the final stretch.

McIlroy took a two-stroke lead into the par-4 final hole, the setting for his victorious playoff moment last year and a hole the Northern Irishman knows all too well.

However, as McIlroy fired his approach shot towards the green from the right trees, the camera operators seemingly lost track of the location of the ball as it dropped into the front-left greenside bunker.

To make the situation worse, the same thing happened with Cameron Young's approach shot just moments earlier.

Fans at home were not happy with the coverage - having been critical of it earlier in the day, too.

One took to Twitter/X to write: “CBS not being able to show the location of the final two approach shots of The Masters is the cherry on top of an all-time horrible broadcast."

Another added: "This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they'll talk about the 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory's ball went."

Meanwhile, Dan Rapaport had his say, adding: "The biggest 10 minutes of the year in our sport and we’ve got no idea where the golf balls are."

The most heinous moment of all, though, was the angle used to show McIlroy's winning putt. Indeed, sitting at home, it was impossible to see whether he had actually sunk the one-footer or not as he was blocking the hole.

That's not McIlroy's fault, of course, and figures in the game were quick to highlight this error.

Ryan Glasspiegel said on social media that he was getting lots of messages about the coverage, writing: "How was CBS Masters production so perfect all weekend then on the 18th they messed up like three things, including losing Rory’s ball on the crucial shot?"

Clay Travis saw the ironic side of things, writing: "Still laughing about CBS having a billion cameras on the 18th hole at the Masters and somehow still missed having any idea where both guys approach shots on 18 went and had a camera shot where you couldn’t see the hole for Rory’s winning putt."

Meanwhile, one fan added: "Very on brand for golf broadcasting that the cameraman lined up in the only place where you couldn’t see if Rory missed the putt. Only the 72nd hole at The Masters, not a huge deal."

Scenes of McIlroy celebrating with family and friends, collecting his Green Jacket, and addressing the patrons made for a delightlful post-round broadcast.

But, CBS will need to learn from its mistakes when The Masters comes around next year.

What did you make of The Masters final round coverage? Let us know in the comments section below.

After a captivating final round at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy beat Scottie Scheffler by one at The Masters to become the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods in 2002.

While that is a notable achievement, it also means he has now won the Green Jacket the same number of times as another European great, Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros – a point not lost on Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

Donald even went as far as to say that the Northern Irishman is now the best golfer Europe has ever produced, writing on X: “Tying Seve with 2 green jackets will mean a lot to Rory. He is undoubtedly the best European golfer of all time now. Congratulations @McIlroyRory.”

Ballesteros made history with his first Masters title, which came in 1980, as he became the first European to win the Green Jacket, before taking the title at Augusta National again three years later.

Since then, several European players have gone on to claim victory in the Major, including German Bernhard Langer and Ballesteros’ compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, who have also won it twice.

Meanwhile, another European, Englishman Nick Faldo, won it three times, as well as completing back-to-back titles in 1990.

Regardless of whether or not McIlroy is now the greatest European golfer of all time, Donald is undoubtedly correct that being in the same company as Ballesteros with two wins will mean a lot to him.

McIlroy’s admiration for Ballesteros, who passed away in 2011, was evident in November when he won his seventh Race to Dubai title, taking him beyond the Spaniard’s total.

At the time, he said: "He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit and around his quotes and everything he meant for European golf.

"To equal him last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, I didn't get this far in my dreams, so it's very cool."

The latest glorious moment of McIlroy’s career means he now has six Major titles, the same as Faldo, and, following his victory, he stressed that there is more to come, even if the debate over the greatest European golfer isn't settled.

He said: "Today I tied Nick, so yeah, there's obviously going to be that conversation, and that debate is going to be hard. But it's a cool conversation to be a part of.

"Again, it took me 10 years to win my fifth Major, and then my sixth one's come pretty soon after it. I'm not putting a number on it, but I certainly don't want to stop here."

He also said that he has plenty of ambition left to cement his legacy even more than he already has.

“I said at the start of the weekend here I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realized it wasn't,” explained McIlroy.

“I'm on this journey to - I don't know, I just won my sixth Major, and I feel like I'm in a really good spot with my game and my body.

“I don't want to put a number on it, but I feel like this win is just - I don't want to say a stop on the journey, but yeah, it's just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve, but I still want to enjoy it as well.”

Undoubtedly among the most famous golfers of all time, Rory McIlroy's level of notoriety in the modern age is matched by his bank balance.

A significant factor in the Northern Irishman's fame is due to his on-course success, with almost 50 professional wins worldwide since 2007 - five of which have come at Major championships.

Not only have there been individual successes, but team ones too. McIlroy has helped Team Europe to victory at the Ryder Cup on six occasions - further enhancing his reputation as one of the sport's greats.

And because of all those titles and exposure on Sundays, McIlroy has been able to attract plenty of interest from some blue chip sponsors while putting the money he has accrued to very good use via investment opportunities.

As a result, his net worth is thought to be well into nine figures. Below, we will break down exactly how much money McIlroy could be worth.

Some of the easiest figures to verify are McIlroy's on-course earnings throughout his career, which stood at just under $190 million before 2026 began.

The 36-year-old currently sits second behind Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour's Career Earnings list with earnings of over $110 million. However, this doesn't factor in his three FedEx Cup victories - which total $43 million - meaning that number is far closer to the $153 million mark.

On the DP World Tour, McIlroy sits top of its money list, with over €60 million ($68 million) in career earnings, although there is some overlap with the PGA Tour due to Majors and World Golf Championships.

But the number increases further when you factor in his six Race to Dubai victories, which aren't included in the money list. They have netted him around $14 million.

Even though McIlroy's primary circuit is the PGA Tour, he still appears in certain DP World Tour events, including the Abu Dhabi Championship and Dubai Desert Classic, events where he reportedly receives around $2 million per appearance, further boosting his already considerable net worth.

Then there are bonus payouts such as the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program which add millions to McIlroy's career earnings. Looking specifically at the PGA Tour's now-defunct PIP, the five-time Major winner collected $35 million in the four years it existed.

All in all, there is every chance McIlroy has picked up in excess of $290 million in tournament prize money and appearance fees (plus bonuses) since turning professional in 2007.

While that number is wildly impressive, a number of factors like taxes will have reduced how much money McIlroy really sees which in turn affects his net worth to date.

Away from the course, the Northern Irishman continues to work with a number of high-profile sponsors and is signed to some particularly lucrative endorsement deals.

Currently, his sponsors are FM, TaylorMade, Nike, NBC Sports/Golf Pass, Omega and Optum, with McIlroy announcing a new sponsorship deal back in 2022 that saw him become a brand ambassador for financial management company, Workday.

McIlroy's TaylorMade deal, which he penned in 2017, is said to be worth $10 million per year for 10 years and sees him playing 14 TaylorMade clubs, a TaylorMade golf ball and TaylorMade bag.

McIlroy also has a hugely lucrative Nike contract, which was extended in 2017 for 10 years. This is said to be worth $10 million per year, too, having been worth $20 million per year between 2013 and 2016 when he was using Nike gear.

In total, he is estimated to earn around $35 million a year from his sponsorships alone.

In terms of business interests, McIlroy, Woods and former Golf Channel President Mike McCarley have also launched sports media and technology company TMRW Sports, which was behind launching tech-infused golf league TGL.

The Bay Golf Club owner Marc Lasry revealed a wide ballpark figure of more than $25 million and less than $100 million for his purchase of the team, which offers a strong indication that it is anticipated to become a lucrative money-spinner, with McIlroy in prime position to cash in.

McIlroy also has an investment company called Symphony Ventures while, in October 2023, he was revealed as an investor in the Alpine F1 team. A year later, it was reported the company had invested $250 million in ticketing marketplace TickPick.

Those kinds of investments offer further evidence that, as well as his incredibly profitable playing career, McIlroy is in a strong position to grow his wealth even further away from the course over the coming years.

For now, two relatively recent reports offer perhaps the best Indicator of both McIlroy's annual earnings, as well as his current net worth.

In 2023, Forbes released the highest paid golfers list and McIlroy placed second with $83m, with $38m made on the course and $45m off it.

The same year, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated his net worth at an astonishing £225m ($294m), and it's only likely to increase from as the years go on.

One of the many traditions of The Masters is that, after the winning putt is holed on Sunday evening, the victorious player is presented with his Green Jacket by the previous year's champion.

A year ago, Rory McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam with the Masters title, bringing to an end a rollercoaster of a Sunday.

Once the sheer emotion of his victory had subsided, McIlroy headed to Butler Cabin, where, in time-honored fashion, 2024 champion Scottie Scheffler helped him slip on the famous garment (a duty the previous champion performs again in the public ceremony).

In the first half of his title defence, McIlroy appeared freed from the burden of expectation that had followed him at Augusta National until he finally lifted the trophy in his 17th Masters appearance.

Indeed, at the halfway stage of the 2026 event, he held a lead of six, the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history.

McIlroy rarely makes things straightforward, and that proved the case in the third round. As well as some serious charges made by several of his challengers, including Cameron Young, Amen Corner got the better of the champion as he lost the lead to the American before the pair finished the day on 11 under.

Nevertheless, he remained very much in contention, so it begs the question: who will present McIlroy with the Green Jacket if he makes it back-to-back wins in 2026?

The answer can be found by looking at the history of previous winners. Since The Masters began, only three players have achieved back-to-back Masters victories: Jack Nicklaus in 1966, Nick Faldo in 1990 and Tiger Woods in 2002.

The first time it happened, after Nicklaus beat Gay Brewer and Tommy Jacobs in a playoff, Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones suggested Nicklaus should perform the honor himself, which he did, with chairman Clifford Roberts looking on.

However, when Faldo completed back-to-back titles after beating Raymond Floyd 24 years later, it was decided that the chairman would take on the role. On that occasion, it fell to Hord Hardin to present the jacket to the Englishman.

That was still the case 12 years later when Woods beat Retief Goosen for his second title in a row, with Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson giving him the Green Jacket.

Even though it’s now been almost a quarter of a century since that moment, it remains the chairman’s duty to hand the Green Jacket to any back-to-back winner.

That means that, should McIlroy win the title this year, the responsibility will go to current chairman Fred Ridley.

Never one to do things the easy way, Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title by a single stroke in a tumultuous final round at Augusta National to become a six-time Major champion.

The Northern Irishman was ahead by as many as six shots earlier in the week but was pegged back on Saturday and started the final round neck and neck with Cameron Young.

An uncertain start saw the 36-year-old fall two off the lead before the turn, but McIlroy recalibrated and charged down the back nine as each of his rivals slowly but surely fell away.

In the end, Scottie Scheffler provided the closest challenge as he set the clubhouse target at 11-under-par.

But, despite a tour of the right-hand trees down 18 which jangled the nerves of his fans one last time, McIlroy holed out with a closing bogey to clinch the title on 12-under.

As a result of his second Masters title, one of the greats of the modern game has earned a colossal $4.5 million winner's check.

McIlroy's prize is up $300,000 from last year after The Masters confirmed its overall payout had increased from $21 million in 2025 to $22.5 million this time around. That makes it one of the most lucrative tournaments in the sport, but still not quite the richest.

Consequently, the man from Holywood, Northern Ireland also becomes the highest earner ever at The Masters, vaulting past Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and surpassing the $12 million mark.

The only other man to reach $10 million earned at The Masters is the player who ended second in 2026 - Scheffler. The World No.1 finished with a closing 68 (-4) to bank a cool $2.43 million as well as claiming a host of other perks as the runner-up.

Going a little further down the list, everyone who finished the week inside the top-40 has scooped a payout of over $100,000.

The riches don't stop there, either. Because even those professionals who missed the cut will take away a consolation prize of $25,000.

Below is the full prize money payout at The Masters in 2026.

THE MASTERS PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN

All professionals who did not qualify for the final 36 holes received $25,000.

THE MASTERS PRIZE MONEY THROUGH THE YEARS

Rory McIlroy came back to field with a 73 on Saturday at the 2026 Masters to lose his six-stroke advantage, but he still enters the final round with the lead.

The defending champion plays alongside Cameron Young in the final pairing, with both men locked at 11-under-par. There are a total of eight players within four strokes in what is set to be a thrilling last day.

If he wants to win, he is going to have to play well. It's as simple as that.

"There's a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow. I'm still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can't forget that, but I do know I'm going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win" he said.

While he did lose his big margin, he is still leading heading into Sunday, and it is his eighth 54-hole solo- or co-lead at a Major.

McIlroy has an impressive record when holding the 54-hole lead in Majors throughout his career, with a record of five wins from seven.

He has actually only won his Majors after leading with 18 holes to play - he has never come from behind to win.

Here's a look at the 54-hole leads McIlroy has had in Majors through the years, starting with a painful one...

2011 Masters: Shot 80, finished T15

At just 21, McIlroy looked set to launch his career in a fast way after taking a four-stroke lead into Sunday at Augusta National.

He started a little shaky but was just one-over-par for his front nine to hold on to his lead before disaster struck on what is now an infamous back nine, starting with a triple-bogey at the 10th after a hooked drive kicked further left up towards the member cabins.

It went from back to worse, as a bogey followed at the 11th before he four-putted the 12th to all-but end his hopes of a maiden Major triumph.

His heartbreak was confirmed when he tapped in for 80 to finish ten strokes behind Charl Schwartzel, who finished with four consecutive birdies to win the Green Jacket.

2011 US Open: Shot 69, won by eight strokes

Just two months on from his Augusta heartbreak, McIlroy once again found himself with a big lead heading into a Major final round.

He was a remarkable eight-strokes clear of the field at Congressional in the US Open and went on to right the wrongs of Augusta for an easy victory to call himself a deserving Major champion.

The young Northern Irishman set the US Open 72-hole scoring record of 268 after setting the largest 36- and 54-hole leads in history. He also became the first man to reach 17-under-par in a US Open.

What a bounce back.

2012 PGA Championship: Shot 66, won by eight strokes

McIlroy didn't have to wait too long for another 54-hole Major lead, coming at Kiawah Island just over 12 months later at the PGA Championship.

He entered the final round three strokes clear of Carl Pettersen and strode home with an assured 66 to win by eight strokes and set the championship's record winning margin.

2014 Open: Shot 71, won by two strokes

McIlroy won his third Major title and first Open Championship in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.

He led Rickie Fowler by six strokes heading into Sunday and shot a 71 to win by a narrow two-stroke margin.

He became the first European to win three different Majors and joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only men to win three Majors under the age of 25.

Just one more to complete the career grand slam, The Masters. That wouldn't take long, right?

2014 PGA Championship: Shot 71, won by two strokes

Just a month later, McIlroy took his tally to four after winning back-to-back Majors.

The Northern Irishman became a two-time PGA Champion two years after his first, when he held off the likes of Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson in an entertaining final day at Valhalla.

He was on top of the world at this point and went on to win his third Ryder Cup the following month at Gleneagles. He also won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and BMW PGA Championship in what was undoubtedly one of the greatest years of his career.

Little did he, or we, know he wouldn't win another Major until 2025.

2022 Open: Shot 70, lost by two strokes (3rd)

McIlroy, now 33, looked set to end his long Major drought at St Andrews in the 150th Open Championship - but it was a disappointing Sunday.

He co-led with Viktor Hovland heading into the final round, with both men tied at 16-under-par, and they each struggled on the last day.

McIlroy carded a two-under-par 70 in calm conditions, but was overtaken by the charging Cameron Smith who shot a brilliant eight-under-par 64. Cameron Young also overtook McIlroy with a 65, leaving the Northern Irishman in third-place and devastated.

2025 Masters: Shot 73, won in playoff

When he won The Open in 2014, little did he know it would take him 11 Masters to finally complete the career grand slam.

He led Bryson DeChambeau by two strokes heading into the final round at Augusta National and had lost his lead by the 3rd tee, and a rollercoaster Sunday meant he found himself in a playoff against his Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose.

He birdied the first-extra hole for a historic and emotional victory, which completed the career slam, made him a five-time Major champion and saw him win a Major for the first time in almost 11 years.

2026 Masters: Tied at -11 with Cameron Young

With the weight of the career grand slam off his shoulders, McIlroy came out of the blocks fast at the 2026 Masters to shoot 67-65 and open up a six-stroke lead after 36 holes, the largest in Masters history.

He looked assured and freed up, and it got us thinking he may well win many more Green Jackets over the coming years. And we're still thinking that.

Saturday didn't go as planned, though, as he came back to the field with a one-over-par 73 to be caught at the top by Cameron Young, who shot an exceptional 65.

A big final round is coming up.

If he does go on to win, he would become only the fourth man in history to successfully defend The Masters, and he would take his Major tally to six.

After two rounds of The Masters, it appeared destined to have a very different feel to the 2025 edition, even if it seemed likely to have the same winner.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy took control of proceedings on Friday with a late birdie blitz that saw him move to 12-under with a lead of six – the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

During his seven-under 65, McIlroy appeared unburdened by the stresses that had hounded him at Augusta National during his long pursuit of the Green Jacket.

So, would we see more of the same on Saturday? Or were there more twists to come?

The answer was decisively the latter, as McIlroy’s erratic round of 73 bore more resemblance to his rollercoaster Sunday a year ago than the previous day’s brilliance.

The alarm bells began ringing early, as McIlroy bogeyed the first before making amends with a birdie on the third.

While that kept him on an even keel, the trouble for the champion was that others were eating into his lead, with the likes of Patrick Reed, Sam Burns, Cameron Young and Shane Lowry, who made a hole-in-one at the sixth, all closing the gap as McIlroy embarked on a run of pars.

At the start of the second nine, McIlroy remained at 12-under, the same score he began the day on, with Young, at the 15th, just one back.

McIlroy’s second birdie of his round at the 10th gave him breathing space, and soon after, it got even better for him when Young found the water with a misjudged third at the 15th, resulting in a bogey.

With the opportunity to reestablish control available, instead, on the 11th, McIlroy emulated Young, with his ball rolling into the pond, leading to his first double bogey of the week.

That pegged McIlroy back to 11 under, with Young just one behind, and on the 16th, he joined him at the top with his eighth birdie of the day.

Incredibly, soon after, McIlroy’s huge advantage at the start of the day vanished completely with a bogey at the 12th as Young took the solo lead by one.

Despite McIlroy’s struggles, he launched an encouraging recovery with back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th to regain the lead, but another bogey at the 17th put him one over for the day and level with Young, before his birdie putt at the 18th stayed out.

Afterwards, McIlroy remained determined to stay positive. He said: "I'm still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can't forget that, but I do know I'm going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win."

Like last year, McIlroy will be in the final group, albeit alongside Young rather than Bryson DeChambeau this time around.

He feels that it is a more comfortable pairing than the one he faced a year ago. He added: "I'd like to think that I'll play a little bit freer and I'll play, you know, like I've already got a Green Jacket, which I do.

"Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that, but I think as well that the stakes in terms of, like, the pairing will be just a little bit easier.

"You know, the atmosphere out there will be a little bit easier. Yeah, I'm not worried about that at all. I wish I was a few shots better off, but I'm comfortable. I played with Cam the first two days. Playing with him again tomorrow. I think it's a comfortable group for both of us.

Right behind the leaders is Sam Burns, just one back, while Lowry is on nine under in fourth. Jason Day and Justin Rose are tied for fifth on eight under, three back of the leaders.

McIlroy and Young begin at 2.25pm local time on Sunday.

The proud owner of five Major championships and closing in on 50 professional victories worldwide, Rory McIlroy has enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame career since turning pro in 2007.

Remarkably, throughout that 20-year timeframe, the Northern Irishman has only worked with two long-term caddies.

The first of which was JP Fitzgerald, who McIlroy brought on board in 2009. During their time together, McIlroy claimed his first four Majors as well as a FedEx Cup and three Race To Dubai titles.

But, following his first winless season since 2008, McIlroy and Fitzgerald parted ways in 2017 and a new bagman arrived on the scene.

It was expected to be a short-term alliance at first, but McIlroy's current caddie, Harry Diamond has largely been with him ever since.

Another of his friends, Niall O'Connor, temporarily carried McIlroy's bag in 2022 - during which time they won the RBC Canadian Open together - but Diamond quickly returned.

O’Connor, a friend who met McIlroy in his late teens, also caddied for the Northern Irishman at the 2019 DP World Championship in Dubai. He played high-level rugby for Ulster and is also a keen golfer. That partnership came about because Diamond was expecting a second child with his wife.

HOW DID MCILROY AND DIAMOND MEET?

McIlroy and Diamond are best friends after growing up together in Holywood, Northern Ireland and playing junior golf together at Holywood Golf Club.

While McIlroy went on to enjoy a sterling pro career following heady days as an amateur, Diamond was also an outstanding player in his own right, representing Ireland as a youngster.

In 2012, the now-caddie won the West of Ireland Championship which earned him a spot at the Irish Open that year.

Although it didn't work out for Diamond as a golfer, he stayed in touch with McIlroy and the pair have achieved so many great things on a golf course together.

And given they've known each other for so long, they have a fantastic relationship and understanding on the golf course as well as off it.

Briefly explaining the pair's dynamic, McIlroy once said: "I was an only child and Harry was a big brother. We’re very close.

"I love having him on the bag. I’m a different person. And I’m never going to give him sh** even if something goes wrong. It would not be worth it.”

As well as being on McIlroy's bag, Diamond was also by his side as Best Man when his boss married Erica Stoll at Ashford Castle in County Mayo in 2017. Diamond enjoyed a spell off studying yardage booklets to arrange the stag party in Miami, too.

WHO IS HARRY DIAMOND?

Away from the course, Diamond is fairly private, staying away from social media and saying very little about his work with McIlroy.

He is believed to own a number of his own businesses, including several bars, but has seldom spoken in interviews over the years and prefers to keep the limelight on McIlroy.

IS HARRY DIAMOND A GOOD CADDIE?

Well, McIlroy certainly thinks so. Diamond has come in for spells of criticism during his time working with the former World No.1, unfairly according to McIlroy, and the pro has leapt to his assistant's defence each time.

Before The Masters in 2026, McIlroy said: "I think, as well, because Harry hates the spotlight, hates doing any sort of media, because he's not as outspoken, people don't hear from him. So he never has an opportunity to stand up for himself.

"That's where I step in and I try to be that one that stands up for him because no one knows what he's doing or thinking or saying because he doesn't want anyone to know what he is doing or thinking or saying.

"That's one of the things that I really appreciate about him, as well. He's obviously a very loyal friend but at the same time he's doing it solely for the purpose for us to go out there and win Major championships, and big tournaments, and that's enough for him."

Possibly the most high-profile occasion where fans and certain sections of the media were calling for a change on the bag arrived following McIlroy's late collapse at the US Open in 2024.

Some external parties felt that McIlroy may have to move on from Diamond if he wanted to win another Major, with one particular bone of contention being a crucial club choice in the closing holes at Pinehurst No.2 which may have cost the Northern Irish duo dear.

Nevertheless, McIlroy stood firm and fiercely defended his best friend and caddie, calling out a couple of detractors by name. He said: “You know, it’s certainly unfair.

"Hank Haney has never been in that position. Smylie has been in that position once. I love Smylie, and he was out there with us on 18, but just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t say anything and that he doesn’t do anything.

"I just wish that, you know, these guys that criticize when things don’t go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way.

“So where were they when I won Dubai earlier year, or Quail Hollow, or the two FedExCups that I’ve won with Harry, or the two Ryder Cups … or whatever? They are never there to say Harry did such a great job when I win, but they are always there to criticize when we don’t win.”

One example of the expertise Diamond brings arrived during the closing stages of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship where the caddie talked McIlroy into taking a penalty drop at the 72nd hole. McIlroy readjusted to find the green and ultimately won the tournament.

Reflecting on that moment, McIlroy said: “Harry was awesome out there, especially that decision on the last. I was ready to get in there and try to play that with a lob wedge and he was sort of like, ‘Let's take a step back, let's think about this. Where's the best place you're hitting your third from?’

"So he sort of calmed me down, slowed me down a little bit and said, ‘pal, let's just think about this.’ Ultimately we made the right decision.

"It's Harry and I's sixth win together and it's probably been our best one. Bay Hill back in 2018 was great because I hadn't won in a while, but this is even better just because Harry's been there every step of the way."

Almost certainly the duo's best year to date was 2025. McIlroy bagged his sixth Race To Dubai title later in the year after opening up 2025 with success at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship.

But it was their triumph at The Masters - the one glaring omission from the pair's partnership - which justified McIlroy's belief in his buddy.

In the aftermath of McIlroy's historic win, he had some warm words for Diamond, saying: "I met him on the putting green at Holywood Golf Club. We've had so many good times together. He's been like a big brother to me the whole way through my life.

"To be able to share this with him after all the close calls that we've had, all the crap that he's had to take from people that don't know anything about the game, yeah, this one is just as much his as it is mine.

"He's a massive part of what I do, and I couldn't think of anyone better to share it with than him."

Almost 12 months later, ahead of The 2026 Masters, McIlroy reiterated how high a regard he holds Diamond in - particularly on the golf course.

McIlroy said: "I think they (the fans and media) don't understand that he provides a level of comfort on the golf course for me that probably no one else in the world could.

"You know, if I make a mistake, or we make a mistake, I'm much less likely to get angry or get bothered by it because he's the one on the bag rather than someone else.

"It's much harder for me to get angry at myself or at him with him next to me than it would be with someone else."

To date, McIlroy and Diamond have won 20 professional titles together as well as helping Team Europe to win the Ryder Cup home and away.

So it's not quite Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo or Michael Jordan level of notoriety, but Rory McIlroy's relationship with Nike must still surely be considered as one of the most famous partnerships in all of sport.

It is an agreement which has been in place for well over a decade now and has seen that famous Nike swoosh pictured on McIlroy's chest, cap and feet as he claimed his first Open Championship, his second PGA Championship and - finally - a maiden Masters title.

Not to mention, there have also been 33 other worldwide victories which have included nearly all of the biggest tournaments outside of the Majors.

While McIlroy has certainly done his part for the brand, Nike made something of a leap of faith on a rising star when he was just 23 years old. Albeit, a 23-year-old with two Majors in his back pocket already.

McIlroy turned pro in 2007 and wore apparel emblazoned with Dubai-based hotel group Jumeirah's branding during his early years on tour before signing with the manufacturing giant in 2013.

According to reports at the time, McIlroy's first contract with Nike was due to see him earn up to $250 million over 10 years. Back then, it was the most lucrative endorsement deal ever seen in British sport.

Part of the cost of signing McIlroy was increased because of his plethora of other sponsors. He was with Titleist for gear and had relationships with Jumeirah, Oakley, Santander bank and watchmaker Audemars Paguet.

However, because only the Santander deal had expired, a chunk of the $250m was set aside to buy McIlroy out of his other contracts.

Having partnered with Nike, who was still making golf clubs and gear at the time, McIlroy didn't just agree to wear Nike clothing - his bag was now full of swooshes as well.

It was a changeover which, famously, did not start well (McIlroy won just once in 2013) but blossomed into heightened success as time wore on.

Nevertheless, Nike's decision to leave the golf-club-making game in late 2016 led to a notable alteration for McIlroy and Nike the following year.

TaylorMade - who had reportedly tried to sign McIlroy back in 2013 - swooped in to become the Northern Irishman's gear sponsors shortly after a fresh contract with Nike was signed.

It was confirmed on April 2, 2017 that McIlroy had agreed a new 10-year endorsement deal with Nike which is due to expire at the end of 2027.

At the time, McIlroy said in a statement: "I've loved this company since I was a kid and I'm really happy to continue this journey with Nike."

And be happy he might. The talk in 2017 was that McIlroy's new Nike agreement would see him rake in up to $20 million per year across the next decade.

According to The Irish Times, "it is estimated he earns $10-12 million annually from equipment manufacturer TaylorMade and $15-20 million annually from Nike to wear its clothing and for image rights."

But while the current agreement is undoubtedly a beneficial one for both sides, there is a chance the pair might part ways before 2028 rolls around.

As previously mentioned, McIlroy's current Nike deal is due to expire at the end of 2027, and with Woods and Tommy Fleetwood having both walked away from the iconic logo in recent years, some believe the five-time Major winner could be next.

And he might not be alone, either. Brooks Koepka - who recently returned from the LIV Golf League - sees his Nike contract run out around the same time.

How highly the sportswear giant prioritizes its golf arm in the short-to-medium term may well have a huge impact on who, if anyone, it extends agreements or signs new contracts with.

Either way, should McIlroy wish to look elsewhere, he is very likely to have his choice of new suitors.

ANALYSIS

It seems unfathomable to imagine Rory McIlroy wearing anything other than Nike, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them part ways when his deal comes to an end.

The global sportswear giant has lost Tiger Woods and Tommy Fleetwood over the past couple of years in what is clearly a change in strategy. The company's stock price is down over 32% year to date as it jostles with tariffs, an unstable global economy and increased competition from athleisure brands like Lululemon and Gymshark, and footwear brands like New Balance, Hoka and On Cloud.

Nike's priority has always been running and its key sports like soccer and tennis, so cutting costs in the golf department could well be on the way. With McIlroy's deal reportedly ending fairly soon, I found it telling that he hasn't signed a renewal yet after winning The Masters and cementing his status as the biggest name in the sport.

McIlroy may be excited for a change and the chance to listen to offers from every single apparel and shoe brand in the market who would likely be desperate for his signature.

Nike deals only allow for one company's logo - its own - so a new apparel deal would also allow McIlroy to earn more revenue from his current sponsors by adding them to his cap, sleeves, chest and collar, I would have thought.

While the pair may continue their long relationship, I could see them going their separate ways. It will be an interesting one to follow whenever the contract does expire.

Rory McIlroy’s glittering career is going from strength to strength, with the Northern Irishman accumulating a near-endless list of accolades and achievements.

The huge success he has enjoyed in the latest phase of his career is partly down to the man who has been on his bag since 2017, his best friend, Harry Diamond.

Diamond was alongside McIlroy at the scene of his greatest triumph, when he overcame Justin Rose in the first playoff hole to win the 2025 Masters and complete the Career Grand Slam.

That came at the end of a draining afternoon that saw McIlroy squander a two-stroke lead early on, before regaining it and stretching the advantage to four, then, agonizingly, bogeying the 18th to miss out on the Green Jacket in regulation.

Despite their huge success, one thing McIlroy and Diamond had never achieved together was a Major title, with numerous heartbreaking near misses over the years.

As McIlroy faced the prospect of a playoff, surely he'd have had a fleeting thought that, once again, he might be denied, and this time in the most devastating manner of all.

That’s when Diamond stepped in with eight words that proved crucial at the most consequential moment of McIlroy's career: “We would have taken this on Monday morning.”

Afterwards, McIlroy said: “I’m like, ‘Yeah, absolutely we would have.’ That was an easy reset. He basically said to me, ‘Look, you would have given your right arm to be in a playoff at the start of the week.’ So that reframed it a little bit for me.”

We all know what happened next, as McIlroy steadied his nerves with a birdie to finally give him the Masters title - the last of the four Majors he needed to complete the set.

For any player, having the steadying influence of a man like Diamond would surely be invaluable, particularly at such a pivotal moment, but for McIlroy, their relationship goes even deeper than that.

McIlroy is well-known as a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and that is no exception when it comes to his bond with Diamond.

When he returned to Augusta National to defend his title, he explained exactly what Diamond means to him.

“As an only child, he was like the big brother I never had, and I think that's what makes it so special," he said.

“Harry's got a little brother and a big sister, so he had that, but I always felt like Harry was my big brother. I think that's why, when I talk about it or - it's why it makes me emotional.”

After two rounds of the 2026 Masters, the pair were creating magic again, with McIlroy six clear – the largest 36-hole lead in the tournament's history.

With that huge advantage, it seemed almost certain that, over the closing 36 holes, McIlroy was set for a more comfortable time of it than a year ago.

There’s one thing for sure, though: if McIlroy does need some steadying words over the closing two rounds, in Diamond, he has the right man alongside him to deliver them.

Rory McIlroy is one of just six men to have won the career grand slam and will go down as one of, if not the, best golfers of his entire generation.

The five-time Major champion is known for his otherworldly ball striking, his picture-perfect swing and his incredibly power off the tee, and he has left a number of his playing partners in awe over the years.

From reducing multiple winners to joking they want to "quit" the game after playing alongside him to making others question how on earth they compete with him, here are some of the times McIlroy's fellow pros have been wowed...

Akshay Bhatia: 2025 Masters

Akshay Bhatia enjoyed a front-row seat for the start of Rory McIlroy's epic Masters victory last year, playing with the to-be grand slam champion for the first two rounds.

The American was taken aback by McIlroy's play, revealing how he felt on GOLF's Subpar podcast a couple of weeks later.

“I’ve never seen someone hit a driver that good," Bhatia said.

"He played great the first round and made a couple of doubles and somehow I beat him the first round.

"And I was like, man, that guy, he played so freaking good. And you almost feel like, how do I compete with that?

"He hits it far, he hits it straight, his wedge play was great. He didn’t miss I don’t think inside 10 feet on Friday.”

Xander Schauffele: 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

Xander Schauffele admitted he was in awe of Rory McIlroy in the final round of the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, where the Northern Irishman hit the accelerator on the back nine to win his fourth title at Quail Hollow by five strokes

Schauffele held a one-shot lead overnight and the tournament looked set for a tight finish, before “unbelievable” McIlroy found a different gear to race clear and claim his 26th PGA Tour title.

“When you take a step back, yeah,” Schauffele said, when asked whether he found himself admiring his opponent.

“He’s Rory McIlroy, you know?

“He hits it 350 yards in the air downwind and he has shorter clubs into firm greens than anyone else.

“When he's on, he's on. Hats off to him for winning. Yeah, he played unbelievably well.

“Overall I felt like I was doing pretty well for most of the day and then had that costly stretch and he capitalized like no other. Big reversal there.”

Alex Noren: 2018 BMW PGA Championship

Alex Noren, who holds the Wentworth course record of 62, was another pro taken aback by McIlroy in 2018 despite him coming up three strokes shy of the Swede's best score around the classic English course.

Noren shared the opening round with McIlroy at the 2018 BMW PGA, where he was asked if he could feed off of the energy from the his playing partner's high quality golf, to which he disagreed.

"No. No. That's the best round I've ever seen. I'm about to quit golf I think," he joked.

"It's hard to draw off of it when it's that good, you know what I mean.

"So I really wanted to be the first on the tee to make a birdie, to get the honor and then you don't have to hit after that 330 driver or 300-yard 3-wood.

"It's tough around here if you're not really on, and then you're playing with Rory; it's the best round I've ever seen I think.

"It's tough because it's almost like you're trying to play better than you need to when you see that. I didn't feel good over the ball today and it's tough."

Tommy Fleetwood: 'McIlroy is the best of our generation'

Tommy Fleetwood has played with McIlroy many, many times, including in four consecutive foursomes victories over the last two Ryder Cups.

While not necessarily quotes from a single round, the Englishman has always heaprd praise on his teammate and close friend, and he maintains his European counterpart is the greatest player of our generation.

"Look, I still, I’ve said it a few times, and I never want to speak out of turn about other players, I still believe from everything that I’ve experienced since I’ve been playing that Rory is the best of our generation. I still believe that,” said Fleetwood at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, despite Scottie Scheffler's dominance.

Once The Masters concludes on Sunday evening, PGA Tour players will take the two-and-a-half hour drive east to Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage.

The historic tournament is one of the PGA Tour's Signature Events and will feature a huge $20m purse with a $3.6m first prize, and a star-studded field has been confirmed.

A total of 18 of the world's top 20 will be teeing up at Harbour Town Golf Links, with only Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama missing. Scottie Scheffler will headline alongside the likes of Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg and past champions Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth.

McIlroy skipping the RBC Heritage is not exactly a surprise, but it is the first Signature Event of the season he is missing.

He has only ever played in the event twice in his career, in 2009 and in 2020 - and there was controversy in 2023 when he once again decided to give the tournament a miss.

That was because the PGA Tour, at the time, only allowed its players to skip one of the big money 'Designated' events, and McIlroy had already missed one at that point. It meant he didn't receive $3m of his Player Impact Program payout that season.

Players can be added to the RBC Heritage field via the Aon Next 10, concluding following The Masters, and by making it into the world's top 30. Here's a look at the full confirmed field so far:

RBC Heritage field 2026

• Ludvig Aberg
• Daniel Berger
• Akshay Bhatia
• Chandler Blanchet
• Keegan Bradley
• Michael Brennan
• Jacob Bridgeman
• Sam Burns
• Brian Campbell
• Patrick Cantlay
• Ricky Castillo
• Bud Cauley
• Corey Conners
• Pierceson Coody
• Jason Day
• Nico Echavarria
• Harris English
• Steven Fisk
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Rickie Fowler
• Ryan Fox
• Ryan Gerard
• Lucas Glover
• Chris Gotterup
• Ben Griffin
• Harry Hall
• Brian Harman
• Russell Henley
• Garrick Higgo
• Joe Highsmith
• Ryo Hisatsune
• Tom Hoge
• Nicolai Hojgaard
• Viktor Hovland
• Sungjae Im
• Johnny Keefer
• Michael Kim
• Si Woo Kim
• Kurt Kitayama
• Jake Knapp
• Min Woo Lee
• David Lipsky
• Shane Lowry
• Robert MacIntyre
• Denny McCarthy
• Matt McCarty
• Maverick McNealy
• Collin Morikawa
• William Mouw
• Alex Noren
• Andrew Novak
• Taylor Pendrith
• JT Poston
• Aldrich Potgieter
• Andrew Putnam
• Patrick Rodgers
• Justin Rose
• Xander Schauffele
• Scottie Scheffler
• Adam Schenk
• Jordan Smith
• Austin Smotherman
• JJ Spaun
• Jordan Spieth
• Sam Stevens
• Sepp Straka
• Nick Taylor
• Sahith Theegala
• Justin Thomas
• Michael Thorbjornsen
• Sami Valimaki
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Karl Vilips
• Matt Wallace
• Gary Woodland
• Sudarshan Yellamaraju
• Cameron Young

RBC Heritage alternates list:

• Keith Mitchell
• Taylor Moore
• Stephan Jaeger
• Alex Smalley
• Marco Penge
• Tony Finau
• AJ Ewart
• Matti Schmid
• Adrien Dumont de Chassart
• John Parry

When Rory McIlroy has played his final round of competitive golf, likely several decades from now, there will be no shortage of highlights to look back on.

We already know they will include at least two Players Championship titles, Ryder Cup glory, and victories at the PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open.

However, even with so much time still to come in his career, it would have to be something very special indeed if completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters in 2025 isn't at the top of the list.

While the history books will show that McIlroy finally got to wear the Green Jacket for the first time after his 17th appearance at Augusta National, it doesn’t tell anything like the full story of his Masters career.

The Northern Irishman made his maiden Masters appearance in 2009, two years after turning professional. Even at that early stage, his talent was evident as he placed T20 in a highly creditable debut performance.

In 2010, McIlroy had what would turn out to be a rare failure at the Georgia layout, which most observers agree suits his game perfectly, when he missed the cut following rounds of 74 and 77, but a year later, that looked little more than a blip as he led by four going into the final round.

Fate had other ideas, though, with McIlroy suffering a disastrous capitulation that resulted in an 80 and finishing 15th.

Perhaps the demons of that lingered 12 months later, because, after solid rounds of 71 and 69 to reach the halfway stage of the 2012 Masters tied for third, he endured another unraveling, albeit not nearly as spectacular as a year earlier, ultimately placing in a tie for 40th.

A year later, there was more disappointment when any hopes McIlroy had of claiming the Green Jacket fell apart with a 79 in the third round, before he recovered with a 69 to finish T25 as Adam Scott won.

If the first five years of McIlroy’s Masters career had been mixed, to say the least, he was about to find a run of impressive consistency that suggested victory ought to be his one day.

That sequence began in 2014 when, after only making the cut by one, he went on to achieve his highest Masters finish at that point, with a T8.

A year later, he went closer still, improving as the week went on before placing fourth, six shots behind winner Jordan Spieth.

McIlroy again had one poor round to blame for not finishing higher in 2016, when a 77 in the third round put paid to his chances before he clambered back up the leaderboard to T10.

Another top-10 finish came in 2017 with a T7, where McIlroy’s final round of 69 was his best of the week as his good friend Sergio Garcia took the title.

In 2018, McIlroy was firmly in the hunt after a three-under 69 in the first round left him tied for fourth, and by the end of play on Saturday, he was second, three behind Patrick Reed.

However, in the final round, after missing a four-foot putt for eagle on the second that would have tied the lead, perhaps the writing was on the wall.

In the end, he slumped to a 74 to place tied for fifth as Reed took the title.

That brought a run of five consecutive top-10 finishes to an end for McIlroy, as a generally more subdued performance followed in 2019, until a four-under final round of 68 saw him finish in T21 as Tiger Woods claimed his fifth Masters title.

With one round to play of the Covid-19-delayed 2020 event, McIlroy had eight shots to make up on leader Dustin Johnson, but by the end, the gap had increased to nine despite a three-under 69 as he placed T5, with Johnson winning.

McIlroy was enduring a rare spell outside the world’s top 10 by the time the 2021 Masters came around, and he didn’t improve his ranking with a missed cut following rounds of 76 and 74.

A year later, we saw the return of the effervescent McIlroy that had come so close at The Masters before. This time, he began the final round tied for ninth before putting together a brilliant 64 that finished with a memorable birdie from a greenside bunker on the 18th.

That score tied the record for the low score in the final round of The Masters as he finished runner-up, as Scottie Scheffler cruised to the title by three.

Would 2023 finally be the year McIlroy conquered Augusta National? He certainly seemed cheerful enough as he went mic’d up during the first round on his way to an even-par 72, but a disastrous 77 in the second round saw him miss the cut for just the third time in his Masters career.

Despite a stacked schedule leading up to the tournament, there was never really a sense that McIlroy was firing on all cylinders going into the 2024 event, and so it proved, as he stuttered to a T22.

At that stage, it had been a decade since McIlroy’s fourth and most recent Major title, and he couldn’t add a fifth later that year, with a final-round collapse against Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open raising doubts as to whether he still had what it took to get over the line in the big events.

That brings us to the 2025 Masters, where two double-bogeys in an otherwise encouraging opening round saw McIlroy skip the media as another heartbreak seemed on the cards.

This time, though, he had other ideas, firing back with a 66 on Friday to move to T3, before repeating the score in the third round to lead Bryson DeChambeau by two.

This being McIlroy, he didn’t make it easy in the final round, putting fans through the emotional wringer as he quickly lost the lead, regained it, then extended it before letting it slip again in a rollercoaster final round.

Needing a par on the 18th to beat Justin Rose by one, he found a greenside bunker before missing a short putt that would have sealed the win.

After heading back to the 18th tee box for the playoff, this time, McIlroy made no mistake.

With his approach, he set up an inviting birdie chance, giving him a slight advantage over Rose, who was left with a longer putt for his birdie.

After Rose missed his chance, McIlroy steadied himself and rolled in the winning putt before sinking to his knees as the Green Jacket, finally, was his.

Rory McIlroy's Masters Record

If there's anyone you should listen to for advice on how to win The Masters, it's Jack Nicklaus.

The Golden Bear won at Augusta National on six occasions throughout his career and remains the most successful golfer ever to tee it up here.

Speaking of successful, Rory McIlroy finally earned his first Green Jacket at the 2025 edition - consequently ending a highly anticipated wait to join Nicklaus as one of only six men ever to complete the Career Grand Slam.

On his way to doing so, the Northern Irishman must have spoken to Nicklaus dozens of times, asking him how to play this hole or what to do if this happens.

But I'll bet - during all that time - McIlroy had never received any words of wisdom quite like he did in the build up to his first Masters title defence.

Probing McIlroy over exactly what was said, Amanda Balionis - who was working for Amazon's Prime Video during its early coverage of the second round - asked the five-time Major winner what Nicklaus said to him at the practice facility before his opening round on Thursday afternoon.

McIlroy replied: "No f-ing double bogeys. Apparently he thought I made too many last year."

Right you are, then. Nicklaus' sprinkling of tough love was born out of the fact that McIlroy made four double-bogeys during his victorious week in 2025 - two of which arrived during the final round and could have derailed what may have been a procession.

Nicklaus, who has been a guest on Prime Video's early coverage this year, was asked whether McIlroy's quote was verbatim to which the 86-year-old responded: "pretty much" with a laugh.

Either way, Nicklaus' wisdom may well prove key in the 36-year-old going back-to-back at The Masters.

McIlroy was co-leader after round one thanks to a five-under-par total of 67, alongside Sam Burns.

The European juggernaut posted six birdies and just one bogey on Thursday, while his Friday outing could hardly have begun any better via three gains in his first four holes which handed him the lead once more.

Not only one of the most successful golfers of his generation, Rory McIlroy is among the best players of all time with five Major championships to his name and almost 40 professional tour wins otherwise.

McIlroy turned professional in 2007, but it took him a couple of years to taste success for the first time. Since then, he's hardly stopped winning.

The Northern Irishman claimed the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic for his first DP World Tour title before going on to lift the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship - consequently opening his PGA Tour account.

In 2011, the first of his five Majors arrived via a dominant display at the US Open. Four more would follow, including a maiden Masters victory and the completion of the Career Grand Slam in 2025.

As a result of a trophy-laden career which is closing in on 20 years old, McIlroy has earned an extraordinary amount of money.

His consistency at the top of the game has allowed the six-time Ryder Cup winner to collect over $188 million in official tournament prize money on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

That figure is only part of the story, though, and does not include any earnings away from the golf course - such as his sponsors or other business interests - which help to contribute towards McIlroy's net worth.

McIlroy's club sponsor is TaylorMade, with whom he signed a 10-year $100 million deal in 2017. He is also signed with Nike (a potential $10m per year deal), Omega and FM - among others.

We also know McIlroy stands second on the PGA Tour's Career Money list behind only Tiger Woods. Before the 2026 season began, McIlroy had scooped just under $108 million on the PGA Tour and at Major championships.

Then there are bonus payouts such as the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program which add millions to McIlroy's career earnings. Looking specifically at the PGA Tour's now-defunct PIP, the five-time Major winner collected $35 million in the four years it existed.

He has also won the FedEx Cup three times and is a six-time winner of the Race to Dubai, which come with significant prize money, further boosting his earnings. We know McIlroy's three FedEx Cup victories totaled $43 million and his DP World Tour Order of Merit wins totaled around $14 million, so you can add that on as well.

If we do tot all the relevant figures up, McIlroy's career earnings could have reached $280 million by now. And to reiterate, that doesn't include his off-course business interests and investments.

But, to caveat all of the above, the figures we've mentioned are nothing close to the amount of money McIlroy will have truly seen - especially prize money.

How much money pro golfers really earn is dependent on so many different factors, including where they live (and how that relates to the tax they pay), what the pay and bonus arrangements looks like with their caddie as well as the same with any coaches a player hires.

Nevertheless, below is a breakdown of how much initial money McIlroy has earned on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour since he turned professional in 2007.

Perhaps unsurprisingly - given he won The Masters, The Players, a Signature Event (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and the Irish Open on the DP World Tour - McIlroy's most lucrative year was 2025 thanks to almost $25 million in tournament prize money alone.

RORY MCILROY CAREER EARNINGS YEAR BY YEAR

One of many long-standing traditions of The Masters is the distinctive white boilersuits and green hats worn by the caddies.

That is a practice that has been in place since the 1940s, when tournament co-founder Clifford Roberts first suggested it.

For many years, caddies at the tournament were provided by Augusta National, where they would wear the uniform.

That changed in 1983, when the Masters Tournament Committee gave the go-ahead for players to use their own caddies, but the boilersuits remained, hence why they’re still used to this day.

Fans may have noticed that, on the left breast pocket of each of the caddies’ uniforms, there is a green number. This year, Rory McIlroy’s long-term looper and friend, Harry Diamond, has the number one. But why is that?

A year ago, when McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam, he also had Diamond to assist him.

However, back then, the number on his boilersuit was 81. The number is allocated based on the order the players check in to register during Masters week.

That doesn’t mean Diamond’s boilersuit has the number 1 on it this year because McIlroy was the first to check in, though.

The reason Diamond has been allocated the number 1 is that McIlroy is the defending champion. This is another Masters tradition, where the previous winner’s caddie is assigned number one regardless of the order in which players check in.

Similarly, in 2025, the defending champion was Scottie Scheffler. As a result, on his way to placing fourth, his caddie, Ted Scott, had the number 1 on his uniform throughout the week.

But why do Masters caddies need numbers at all?

In most other tournaments, the golfer a caddie is working for is identifiable by the player’s surname on the back of their bib.

As with many things, though, Augusta National does things a little differently. Instead, the numbers on the caddies’ uniforms are entered beside the relevant player on the groupings sheets.

Returning to McIlroy, he and Diamond are currently plotting a way for him to become only the fourth back-to-back winner of the event.

After the opening round, Diamond seemed likelier than most to be sporting the number 1 again in 12 months, with McIlroy finishing the day as co-leader with Sam Burns on five under.

Having defeated Justin Rose in a playoff and consequently become the 2025 Masters champion, Rory McIlroy finally achieved a lifetime ambition.

One of the greatest players of his generation had been hunting a Green Jacket for so long yet had often fallen just a couple of shots short in his ultimate quest.

Prior to his first Masters victory, the Northern Irishman had finished inside the top-10 on seven occasions from 17 starts. Mind you, he'd also missed the cut three times since making his debut in 2009.

The consolation tonic for most of those painful stings was a large check, but even the millions he had earned would no doubt have been traded away in a heartbeat for one more run at the title.

Thankfully, once that final putt dropped in 2025 and the four-time Major winner upgraded his record to five triumphs in the biggest championships, McIlroy didn't have to exchange his money. Instead, he was allowed to add $4.2 million to his career tally at Augusta.

And, as is so often the way, five Majors became six just 12 months later as McIlroy successfully defended his title - becoming the fourth man ever to do so and the first since Tiger Woods.

It was at that point McIlroy made more history. His $4.5 million winner's check took him past Woods and previous leader Phil Mickelson into top spot on the list of highest earners in Masters history.

In 18 appearances at Augusta National, McIlroy has earned an astonishing $13 million.

But, what has recently turned out to be a very lucrative week for McIlroy hasn't always been that way. The man from Holywood in Northern Ireland finished T20th on his debut in 2009 and then T15th in 2011 on his third trip.

The most McIlroy earned during his first five visits to Augusta National was $128,000, and even that would have been quite heavily reduced once all was said and done due to factors like taxes and sharing a bonus cut with his caddie, Harry Diamond.

It's worth keeping that in mind when looking at any prize money figure you might see - how much a pro golfer really earns from a tournament is almost always a lot less than the number quoted in payout articles.

Nevertheless, a pro golfer's earnings can rack up quite quickly, and that was true of McIlroy during the mid-2010s when the Northern Irishman was habitually inside the top-10 at Augusta National.

Between 2014-2018, McIlroy finished T8th, 4th, T10th, T7th and T5th and earned just over $1.6 million across those five years.

Strangely, he then missed two cuts in three years but was runner-up - consequently claiming a check for $1.62 million - in 2022.

Below is a breakdown of McIlroy's career results and prize money payouts at The Masters since he turned professional.

RORY MCILROY CAREER MASTERS EARNINGS