Rory McIlroy is an Irish professional golfer who has amassed a fortune as one of the world’s wealthiest athletes. Over the course of his career, he’s won a slew of championships, including four majors, and has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings for more than 100 weeks on separate occasions. His four major victories at the age of 25 rank him with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as one of the greatest golfers of all time. Read on to find out the journey that took him from obscurity to being one of the most recognizable names in the sports industry.
McIlroy is well-known for his extraordinary talent as well as his captivating personality. Aside from that, he has established a strong social media footprint, contributing to his rise to prominence. He has more than 2.5 million Instagram followers and over 3.1 million followers on Twitter. McIlroy’s net worth is estimated to be $150 million in 2022, based on his career victories and partnerships, making him one of the top ten wealthiest golfers in the world.
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Beginning As a Caddy
Rory would go to the local golf club from an early age, where he began working as a part-time caddy — one who assists a golfer, especially by carrying the clubs. Although his family wasn’t particularly wealthy, they made an extra effort to provide Rory with the funding he needed to become a professional golfer. He started his early training with Michael Bannon, his current coach, and dedicated mentor. They were able to send Rory to his first major tournament: the World Championship for boys aged 9 and 10 at the Doral Golf Resort in Miami. And you guessed right. McIlroy won the tournament.
In 2004, at the age of 15, Rory McIlroy was a part of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup squad that won the competition. He won the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship in the same year, making him the youngest-ever champion in both events. Soon after, Mcllory signed a letter of intent with East Tennessee State University to play college golf there starting in the next year. While still an amateur in Europe, he opted to forego the scholarship and continue playing in the United States following his success in 2005. Following that, he earned his stripes by winning the European Amateur Championships a year later.
Setting New Records
Just after his sixteenth birthday, McIlroy made his European Tour debut at the 2005 British Masters. At the Dubai Desert Classic, when he was 17 years old, McIlroy made his first cut on the European Tour. Due to his amateur status, he had to forfeit the prize money totaling more than 7,600 euros.
McIlroy made his professional debut at the Quinn Direct British Masters in 2007, the day before the tournament. He finished in a tie for 42nd place. It wasn’t until the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Open de Madrid Valle Romano that he was able to clinch his European Tour card in the following year. For the first time in the history of the European Tour, he became the youngest Affiliate member to earn a tour card.
In the final round of the Quail Hollow Championship in 2010, McIlroy shot a course record 62, giving him his first PGA Tour victory. He became the youngest player since Tiger Woods to win a PGA Tour tournament before 21 years old. His victory earned him a two-year exemption to the Tour. But after the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy declared that he would return to the European Tour full-time. He would participate in between 11 and 12 tournaments in the United States each year. He later revealed that his choice to renounce his PGA Tour card and boycott the 2010 Player Championship at TPC Sawgrass was one he regretted.
Despite his stellar golfing accomplishments, he is still missing the ultimate golfing memento: the green jacket. In 2011, McIlroy had a four-shot lead going into the final round, but a terrible back nine that featured a triple-bogey on the 10th hole scuppered his hopes of winning the coveted jacket.
However, after a disappointing 2013 and the beginning of 2014, he rebounded with Open Championship, and PGA Championship wins. More so, SportsPro ranked him as the third most marketable athlete in the world. The following year, he won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for the second time. Adding to his tally of victories, he became one of three professional players in history to have won 10 PGA Tour tournaments and four majors before the age of 25.
After a string of wins in 2016, he suffered a winless drought in 2017. Nevertheless, he was a member of the European team that took home the Ryder Cup championship in 2018. He then won the Players Championship and reclaimed his former world-number-one status the following year.
Rory McIlroy’s Net Worth
Rory Mcllroy is undeniably affluent — in fact, being ranked #44 in Forbes’ Celebrity 100 for 2020, #14 in Forbes’ The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes for 2020, and #30 Under 30 – Europe – Hollywood & Entertainment for 2016 are no little accomplishments. McIlroy’s many endorsements have been projected to bring in an estimated $40 million yearly. In addition, he partnered with NBC Sports to establish GolfPass, a digital subscription service aimed at helping golfers better their game while also generating a substantial amount of income. With that, his yearly income stands at $52 million.
In 2013, he signed a 10-year endorsement deal with Nike worth $100 million. However, Nike stopped producing golf equipment, and in 2017 he was able to secure a second deal with TaylorMade worth $100 million purely as an equipment endorsement. He then clinched his second season-long FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. The winnings totaled $15 million, making it the most expensive golf tournament ever. He is the only player, along with Tiger Woods, to have won the FedEx Cup twice since it started in 2007.
Since he is known for his extravagant spending, his collection of luxury vehicles includes a Lamborghini Aventador, Bugatti Veyron, an Audi R6, and Bentley. He also has a private jet, the Bombardier Challenger 605, worth over $33 million. It doesn’t stop there, as he plays for charitable causes and is more than eager to share with others. He established the McIlroy Foundation, which offers financial support to children’s charities.
We can confidently claim that Rory Mcllroy has accomplished much more than merely securing a place on the world’s wealthiest athletes and celebrities list. He still has lots of time to win more tournaments, earning him an impressive sum in the years ahead.
Sources: Golf Monthly, PGA Tour, Golf Channel
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