Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood are two of the most popular golfers on the planet. They're both superstars when it comes to the Ryder Cup, they possess incredible golfing ability and they're respected by fans, pundits and fellow players. In early January, they went head-to-head at the Dubai Invitational, where Fleetwood birdied the 18th to land his seventh DP World Tour title.
But given their stature in the game, the Major Championships are the events they're really targeting. For Rory, it's been almost ten years since his last victory – in the 2014 USPGA at Valhalla – while Fleetwood hasn't yet been able to get over the line in one of golf's big four events.
But if only one could win a Major in 2024, who would be the more popular choice? It was almost a dead heat in our X poll, with 51% favouring Fleetwood and 49% saying McIlroy. Below, two of our writers enter the debate...
Tommy Fleetwood – Says Jeremy Ellwood
They’re only 20 months apart in terms of age, but Tommy’s rise to the very top has played out over a longer timeframe than Rory’s. Indeed, Rory’s third Major victory at Hoylake in 2014 coincided with Tommy’s Major debut. Despite a strong amateur pedigree, Tommy’s professional progress has certainly been less meteoric than Rory’s, having stalled a little in relative terms following his maiden DP World Tour victory in 2013. But he has taken his game to another level since topping the Race to Dubai in 2017.
It’s the same in Majors, too. The first seven he contested yielded six missed cuts and a T27th; the last seven have yielded four top tens. The Southport man’s game is now at a whole new level and, having already knocked agonisingly closely on the Major door in the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock and again in the 2019 Portrush Open, he has become a bit of a serial contender on the Major stage.
Tommy’s overall star is still very much in the ascendancy. He is regularly in the mix in golf’s biggest events, has notched up top tens like they’re going out of fashion on the PGA Tour, despite not yet winning over there, and boasts an impressive Ryder Cup strike rate.
He has now paid his dues on the world stage, and while that is no guarantee of Major success, he has thus far in his career always gone on to achieve at the next level. He is a real fan favourite and would be a hugely popular winner if he were to add a maiden Major Championship to his hugely impressive CV. No disrespect to Rory, but it’s Tommy for me.
Rory McIlroy – Says Fergus Bisset
I have always enjoyed seeing the very best excel in sport. I loved watching Usain Bolt when he was unbeatable on the track; I have been thrilled watching Lionel Messi on the football pitch. And, of course, when he was in his prime, Tiger Woods was a key reason I turned on Sky Sports of a Sunday evening. It’s fun to watch brilliance.
Nobody in men’s professional golf today is as talented as Rory McIlroy. When he’s playing at his absolute top level, there’s no-one to compare. His power from the tee, his towering iron shots and his creativity around the putting surfaces combine to deliver box-office golf. No-one since Tiger has had the ability to play at the level Rory is capable of. It’s because of his brilliance that I desperately want to see him win another Major, ideally The Masters, to complete the career Grand Slam.
Of course, I’d love to see Tommy get his Major breakthrough but if I had to choose, I would root for the Northern Irishman. He’s our best golfer and I want to see him where he belongs, donning a Green Jacket or lofting the Claret Jug. We’re approaching ten years since Rory’s last Major and that is far too long for a player of his outstanding ability.
If he could get over the line in a Major this year, we could see another flurry of titles from Rory, like he delivered from 2011 to 2014. As a golf fan, I’d love to see one of ours at the very peak of the game for an extended spell. Rory has something to prove, and I hope he does it because, to corrupt a well-used golf punditry phrase, he’s the best player yet to win five Majors.
