Rory McIlroy Player Profile And What's In The Bag
By: Derek Clements | Edited: Mon 08 Sep 2025
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Article Updated in September 2025
Twelve months ago Rory McIlroy suffered one of the most disappointing defeats of his career when Rasmus Hojgaard pipped him to the Irish Open. The world number two gained a huge amount of consolation by putting things right at The K Club to give himself a massive boost ahead of the upcoming Ryder Cup.
In front of an adoring and passionate home crowd, McIlroy said: "Moments like this, this is what you are going to remember when your career is over.
"I feel so fortunate because there are few golfers who get the support I get when they go home. Maybe Jon Rahm in Spain, there's maybe a few others but this is absolutely incredible. I don't take it for granted. I feel very lucky that I get to do this and I can't wait to celebrate tonight."
McIlroy held his nerve is a superb play-off to claim his fourth victory of 2025 but his first since claiming The Masters in April. He beat Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren at the third extra hole to win at The K Club for the second time.
He produced a grandstand finish, recording an eagle at the 72nd hole to force the play-off. Unrusprisingly, the Irish gallery were ecstatic when his eagle putt disappeared. Both players then birdied the first two play-off holes before McIlroy secured the title after Lagergren found water at the third time of asking.
McIlroy added: "I thought it was going to be a nice homecoming with a Green Jacket and all that, but this has been incredible. It has exceed all my expectations. I am just so happy I could play the way I did this week for all of them and get the win."
The pair had finished on 17 under par after McIlroy started the final round four shots adrift but finished with a bogey-free 66.
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 five-time major winner but before his triumph at Augusta 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 at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2024 was his fourth in the event. His first professional victory came at the same tournament in 2009 when he was just 19 years old.
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. His Masters success meant he had already won three times in 2025.
He has won the Race to Dubai six times. In 2024 he won four times - the Dubai Desert Classic, the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry, the Wells Fargo and the DP World Tour Championship. But there were some heartbreaking near-misses - he threw away the US Open, and finished second at both the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship.
In 2017, Forbes reported that McIlroy was the joint sixth highest-paid sportsperson, having earned $50 million, of which $34 million came from endorsements.
He has won 29 times on the PGA Tour and 20 times on the DP World Tour. Apart from his five major wins, he has finished in the top 10 in majors on 28 occasions, including a runner-up finish at the 2023 US Open, where he finished one shot behind Wyndham Clark. And 12 months later the same thing happened again, this time missing out to Bryson DeChambeau.
After waiting for 11 years to do so, his victory at The Masters in April 2025 meant he achieved the career grand slam, winning all four majors. The only other golfers to have achieved this feat are Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
In 273 starts on the PGA Tour he has made the cut 241 times. Apart from his 29 wins, he has finished second 11 times and third on a further 11 occasions and had 85 top 10s. He has pocketed nearly $108m in prize money on the PGA Tour, second only to Tiger Woods. He has earned $17m in prize money in 2025.
He has won the FedEx Cup three times.
On the DP World Tour he has started 259 tournaments, made 216 cuts and apart from his 20 victories has 28 runner-up finishes and more than €66m in prize money. He once again leads the Race to Dubai and is looking to win it for the seventh time in 2025.
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
Amgen Irish Open - 1st
Tour Championship - T23rd
BMW Championship - T12th
The 153rd Open - T7th
Genesis Scottish Open - T2nd
Travelers Championship - T6th
US Open - T19th
RBC Canadian Open - CUT
US PGA Championship - T47th
Truist Championship - T7th
Key Stats
Driving Distance - 331.39 Yards
Driving Accuracy - 50.009%
Greens in Regulation - 73.02%
Sand Saves - 82.35%
Putts Per Round - 28.93
Scoring Average - 69.50
End of Year World Ranking Position
2019: 2
2020: 4
2021: 9
2022: 1
2023: 2
2024: 3
Current Ranking: 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 Rors Proto 4-Iron, Rors Proto 5-9 (Project X 7.0)
TaylorMade Milled Grind 5 Wedges (46, 50, 54 & 61 Degrees)
TaylorMade Spider Tour X Putter
TaylorMade TP5 Golf Ball
About the author
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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