RORY McILROY FACTFILE
Rory McIlroy’s victory in the Honda Classic saw him move to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. Here we take a look at his career highlights so far….
• Born 4th May 1989.
• Aged two hit a 40 yard drive.
• Aged 13 won the 2002 Ulster Boys Championship.
• Aged 14 won the 2003 Irish Boys Championship.
• Aged 15 won the 2004 Irish Youths Amateur Championship.
• Aged 16 became the youngest player to win the Irish Amateur Closed Championship in 2005.
• Aged 17 won the Irish Amateur Closed Championship for a second consecutive year in 2006 and became European Amateur Individual Champion.
• Aged 18 won the Silver Medal as Leading Amateur in The Open Championship in 2007, after finishing tied 42nd. Aged 18 was also the Number One Ranked Amateur.
• Aged 18 represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup in 2007.
• In September 2007, aged 18 turned professional and joined The European Tour as an Affiliate Member. Won enough money from just two events to finish in the top 115 of The Order of Merit in 2007. Was the then quickest player to achieve the feat.
• Aged 19 won his first European Tour event at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic, to become the seventh youngest winner in European Tour history.
• Aged 20 became the second 20 year old to reach the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking in 2009.
• Aged 22 and 46 days became the youngest European Tour Major winner since The European Tour began by winning the 2011 US Open Championship - youngest US Open champion since 1923.
• Aged 22 years and 305 days became the second youngest player to reach Number One in the Official World Golf Ranking, following Tiger Woods, who was 21 years and 167 days, when he first reached Number One on June 15th, 1997.
World Ranking Milestones
| Date | Position / Event | Rank | Age | |
| 22:07:07 | 1st Ranking Point | t42 Open Champ as Am. | 865 | 18y 12w |
| 10:09:07 | 1st Pro Ranking Point | 3rd Alfred Dunhill Links | 308 | 18y 18w |
| 27:01:08 | Into OWGR Top-200 | t11 Qatar Masters | 190 | 18y 38w |
| 19:10:08 | Into OWGR Top-100 | t10 Portugal Masters | 91 | 19y 24w |
| 23:11:08 | Into OWGR Top-50 | t2 Hong Kong Open | 50 | 19y 29w |
| 01:02:09 | Into OWGR Top-20 | Win Dubai Desert Classic | 16 | 19y 39w |
| 22:11:09 | Into OWGR Top-10 | 3rd Dubai World Champ. | 10 | 20y 30w |
| 04:03:12 | To World No.1 | Win Honda Classic | 1 | 22y 43w |
| Last 11 OWGR Events: | ||||
| Week 36 2011 | Omega European Masters (Eur) | t3 | World No.3 | |
| Week 37 2011 | KLM Open (Eur) | 3 | World No.3 | |
| Week 40 2011 | Alfred Dunhill Links Champ. (Eur) | 2 | World No.3 | |
| Week 41 2011 | Kolon Korean Open (OneA\Kor) | 2 | World No.3 | |
| Week 45 2011 | HSBC Champions (WGC) | t4 | World No. 2 | |
| Week 49 2011 | UBS Hong Kong Open (Asa\Eur) | 1 | World No.2 | |
| Week 50 2011 | Dubai World Champ. (Eur) | t11 | World No.2 | |
| Week 4 2012 | Abu Dhabi HSBC Champ (Eur) | 2 | World No.2 | |
| Week 6 2012 | Omega Dubai Desert Cl. (Eur) | t5 | World No.3 | |
| Week 8 2012 | Accenture Match Play (WGC) | 2 | World No.2 | |
| Week 9 2012 | The Honda Classic (USA) | 1 | World No.1 |
How the world number one spot has changed in the last 17 months:
OCTOBER 24 2010 - 1 WOODS 8.31, 2 WESTWOOD 8.25, 3 KAYMER 8.03
OCTOBER 31 2010 - 1 WESTWOOD 8.29, 2 WOODS 8.13, 3 KAYMER 7.98
FEBRUARY 27 2011 - 1 KAYMER 8.35, 2 WESTWOOD 8.16, 3 DONALD 6.63
APRIL 24 2011 - 1 WESTWOOD 7.65, 2 KAYMER 7.52, 3 DONALD 7.38
MAY 29 2011 - 1 DONALD 9.14, 2 WESTWOOD 8.74, 3 KAYMER 7.40
MARCH 4 2012 - 1 McILROY 9.29, 2 DONALD 8.97, 3 WESTWOOD 8.19
Youngest players to become World Number Ones since the Rankings began in 1986:
21 years 5 months - Tiger Woods (June 1997)
22 years 10 months - Rory McIlroy (March 2012)
26 years 1 month - Martin Kaymer (February 2011)
27 years 4 months - David Duval (March 1999)
27 years 8 months - Ernie Els (June 1997)
28 years 7 months - Bernhard Langer (April 1986)
29 years 0 months - Seve Ballesteros (April 1986)
