Rory McIlroy Player Profile And What's In The Bag
Article Updated in May 2024
Rory McIlroy's love affair with Quail Hollow continued as he won the Wells Fargo Championship for a fourth time. It was his second victory on the spin after claiming the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside former Open champion Shane Lowry.
McIlroy produced a wonderful back nine to win the tournament by five shots. He trailed Xander Schauffele by two shots after seven holes but a run of four birdies and two eagles saw him close with a 65.
He will now turn his attention to this week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he will once again attempt to end a major drought stretching back to 2014.
"I really got some confidence winning in New Orleans with Shane," said McIlroy. "Coming into this week, at a golf course I am comfortable with, my golf swing feels more comfortable than it has done.
"Going to a venue next week where I won the 2014 US PGA, it feels like the stars are aligning a little bit. But I have a lot of golf to play and a lot of great players to try to beat. I am going into the next major of the year feeling really good about myself."
South Korea's Ben An continued his excellent form by finishing third after a final round 66, with Australia's Jason Day three shots further back after a 70.
Player Profile
McIlroy was born in Holywood, Northern Ireland on May 4, 1989. He turned professional at the age of 17 and wasted little time making his mark on the game. In 2011, at the age of 22, he became the youngest player to reach €10 million in career earnings on the European Tour. The following year he became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour.
He is a four-time major winner but his last one came in 2014. He won three times in 2023 - the CJ Cup, the Dubai Desert Classic and the Scottish Open. His victory in Dubai was his fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic. His first professional victory came at the same tournament in 2009 when he was just 19 years old.
He has won 26 times on the PGA Tour and 17 times on the DP World Tour. Apart from his four major wins, he has finished in the top 10 in majors on 26 occasions, including a runner-up finish at the 2023 US Open, where he finished one shot behind Wyndham Clark.
He finished top of the pile in the FedEx Cup in 2021-22, winning three times and pocketing $8,654,566 in prize money on the PGA Tour alone.
His best year on the PGA Tour came in 2012, when he won four times.
He is second in the world rankings and leads the DP World Tour standings. He won the 2022-23 Race to Dubai.
In 2017, Forbes reported that McIlroy was the joint sixth highest-paid sportsperson, having earned $50 million, of which $34 million came from endorsements.
In 248 starts on the PGA Tour he has made the cut 218 times. Apart from his 26 wins, he has finished second 10 times and third on a further 11 occasions. He has pocketed more than $86m in prize money on the PGA Tour, second only to Tiger Woods. He has won the FedEx Cup three times.
He is a seven-time Ryder Cup player, finishing on the winning side on five occasions.
He is married to Erica Stoll, whom he met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, and they have a daughter, Poppy.
Last 10 Events
Wells Fargo Championship - 1st
Zurich Classic of New Orleans - 1st (With Shane Lowry)
RBC Heritage - T33rd
Masters Tournament - T22nd
Valero Texas Open - 3rd
The Players Championship - T19th
Arnold Palmer Invitational - T21st
Cognizant Classic - T21st
Genesis Invitational - T24th
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - T66th
Key Stats
Driving Distance - 316.64 Yards
Driving Accuracy - 68.66%
Greens in Regulation - 65.66%
Sand Saves - 61.67%
Putts Per Round - 28.37
Scoring Average - 69.89
End of Year World Ranking Position
2019: 2
2020: 4
2021: 9
2022: 1
2023: 2
What's In The Bag
TaylorMade Qi10 9.0° Driver (Ventus Black 6-X)
TaylorMade Qi10 15.0° 3-Wood (Ventus Black 8-X)
TaylorMade Qi10 19.0° 5-Wood (Ventus Black 9-X)
TaylorMade P·760 4-Iron, Rors Proto 5-9 (Project X 7.0)
TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 46.09° SB, 50.09° SB, 54.11° SB (Project X 6.5)
TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 60.08° LB (Project X Wedge 6.5)
TaylorMade Spider Tour X
TaylorMade 2024 TP5x
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