Rory McIlroy Archives - Page 8 of 8

Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Due to Rory McIlroy’s successful season, the Northern Irishman qualified for the Ryder Cup in two ways. He led the European points rankings at the time of his qualification and followed in second place behind Jon Rahm in the world points ranking. With two victories in the 2022/2023 season and a total of eleven top-10 finishes, he collected enough points to be nominated first, together with Jon Rahm, for the Ryder Cup.

The world number two played 16 tournaments last season and missed the cut only twice. He managed a top-10 finish impressive eleven times, including two T2’s and two victories. In October 2022, he won the CJ Cup in South Carolina, one of the first tournaments of the PGA Tour season. Then in July 2023, he won the British Open dress rehearsal, the Genesis Scottish Open, and bagged about three and a half million dollars with those two wins alone. He narrowly missed winning the US Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational by finishing second. In total, McIlroy earned around 13 million dollars in prize money during the 2022-2023 season

Will Rory McIlroy write the next chapter in golf history in the 2023 Ryder Cup?

In 2010, at the age of 21, McIlroy won the Ryder Cup for the first time with Team Europe. In stormy Wales the decision even had to be postponed until Monday. In 2012, he defended the title with a historic comeback by the European team. After trailing six to ten, the Europeans won for the seventh time out of the at that time last nine Ryder Cups.

In 2014, he made a historic start in match play against Rickie Fowler, winning five of the first six holes. With this victory, among others, the Europeans again defended their title. 2018 was the for now last victory of Team Europe in which McIlroy again played a part. After an emotional loss in 2021 he will again be an integral part of the European Ryder Cup Team in 2023, as he has been for 13 years. With all his experience, he is a tower fo strength for Team Europe.

Rory McIlroy’s greatest successes and prize money

Rory McIlroy became famous at a young age. He made his first TV appearance at the age of eight, won the U10 World Championship in Miami at 9, made his first hole-in-one at 10 and was already leading the amateur world rankings at 17. Alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, the Northern Irishman is the only player to have won four major titles by the age of 25.

In a total of 236 events, he missed the cut only 30 times. In just under half of the tournaments he has played, he has reached the top 10. 71 of these were top 5 finishes, ten third places and ten more runner ups. His greatest successes are his Major victories. In 2011 he won the US Open for his first major title. In 2012, he took the title at the PGA Championship. Two years later, he won two of the four major tournaments, the PGA Championship again and the Open Championship. He now only needs the Masters in Augusta to have been successful in all four major tournaments and complete a career Grand Slam. He also won the FedExCup three times, most recently in 2022. The Northern Irishman has earned around 79 million dollars in prize money during his career.

Ever since his success at the Scottish Open, Rory McIlroy has been the clear favorite for this year’s Open Championship in Liverpool. We take a look at what speaks for him and who could challenge him for the title.

A Rory McIlroy in top form at the Open Championship

At the beginning of the year, there seemed to be nothing that the Northern Irishman couldn’t win. But then the outside pressure mounted, it was as much about LIV and the PGA Tour as it was about sporting success, and McIlroy seemed to have reached his limit. The results failed to materialize, and time out was necessary, even from the Elevated events, which he had promised to participate in when they were first conceived. But with June 6 and the negotiated merger between the PGA and PIF, the pressure is also falling off. What happens at tour level is no longer his business, McIlroy thinks to himself, and plays as freely as he did at the beginning of the year. A second place at the US Open in June was the first bright spot, then the links victory last week. The signs are all pointing to McIlroy.

The fact that he is the last Champion Golfer of the Year to be named at Royal Liverpool further helps his odds. And let’s not forget the duel against Cam Smith at the 2022 Open Championship. McIlroy’s colleagues also know that the 34-year-old is a force to be reckoned with this week. Last year’s triumphant Cam Smith, for example, said. “There are a lot of guys who, if the week goes well, can be up there on Sunday. I’m sure Rory is one of them.” For Jon Rahm, McIlroy is also the main favorite. “If I had to pick one player, it would be Rory,” he said in an interview with Mercedes Benz. Matt Fitzpatrick even expresses a tiny bit of jealousy at the four-time major winner’s outstanding form. “I think everyone would like to play golf the way Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are doing right now. But that’s pretty rare for the rest of us.”

The unbeatable Scottie Scheffler

If there is anyone who can outperform Rory McIlroy in terms of form, it is Scottie Scheffer. You’ll look in vain for a missed cut this year and all season for the world No. 1. His worst finish in 2023 is a split 12th.If there isn’t at least a top 10 for him this week, it almost has to be a disappointment. In his last ten major appearances, Scheffer missed the cut only once and finished outside the top 10 only once, but that was at the 2022 British Open. At St. Andrews, the currently unbeatable Scheffler apparently found his master. But he showed that he has no problems with links golf per se with a shared third place at the Scottish Open last week.

The defending champion Cameron Smith

Not to be forgotten, of course, is the defending champion. When Cameron Smith handed the Claret Jug back to Martin Slumbers of the R&A, he reluctantly let the trophy go. “I’ll just win it again,” he jousted. Even though Smith’s Ripper GC is only in the lower midfield of the LIV Golf League, things look very different for the captain. He ranks second in the season standings behind only Talor Gooch after his win in London. In addition, he boasts four top 10 results, an eleventh place finish and a twelfth place finish. His major record this year is not without its problems either. Although T34 at the Masters, where he particularly shone in previous years, the trend developed positively: T9 at the PGA Championship, 4th place at the US Open, what will he achieve at the Royal Liverpool?

The fiery Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm also looked unstoppable at the beginning of the year. Since the spring and his Masters win, however, he’s cooled off a bit. More breaks, results good enough to keep him in the top 3 in the world, but not to challenge Scheffler for the top spot. He is well aware of that himself, he explained before the tournament. “Obviously Rory and Scotty are more the favorites because they’ve been playing better lately, but I’m glad people still think I have a chance.” At the same time, he said, his expectations of himself are probably higher than what people on the outside think of him. “Whether people think you’re going to win or not, I’m still coming here to win.” He’s already won one major this year, and a second would definitely be in the cards.

Honourable Mentions

But, as Jon Rahm also says, “This is golf, all 150 of us have a chance.” Figures like Rickie Fowler, with chances to win the US Open and end his winless streak are also aiming for the title, as is Brooks Koepka, who has major title number 6 in his sights, but has had very inconsistent results at the Open Championship so far. With Tommy Fleetwood, who finished T4 behind Rory McIlroy last year and T6 last week, standing just as high with the bookmakers as world No. 5 Viktor Hovland, with whom Fleetwood shared fourth place in 2022. But in the end, there can only be one Champion Golfer of the Year 2023.