It’s been just over 15 years since a fresh-faced, floppy-haired Rory McIlroy burst onto the scene, taking home the Silver Medal as the leading amateur at the 2007 Open. He was just 18 at the time, living at home and bouncing between fairways like a Duracell Bunny. He turned pro just two months later and became the youngest player ever to earn a European Tour card after finishing third at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on just his second professional start. The records have kept tumbling ever since.
At the 2011 US Open, he set 11 records on the weekend, including the lowest total 72-hole score, when he won by eight strokes to claim his maiden major title. He added three more before his 26th birthday, a feat matched only by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. There have been other firsts and accolades too, though few have been quite as impressive as last year when he made history as the first player to end the year as DP World Tour No.1, World No.1 and FedExCup champion.
Ordinarily it would go down as one of the all-time great seasons, yet people will probably remember it more for his near miss at St Andrews – or the fact he finished inside the top eight in all four majors and failed to win any of them.
Rory knows he will always be judged to a higher standard, which is why 2023 feels like such a big year.
By his own estimations, his game has never been in a better shape, which is just as well given the Ryder Cup is just around the corner. And while it might sound like a familiar tale, there’s a huge body of evidence to suggest that he’s
