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Irish Mirror

Sport

Oisin Doherty

Where does Rory McIlroy rank amongst most successful Irish golfers ever?

Rory McIlroy European Tour Darren Clarke Pádraig Harrington Golf Leona Maguire PGA Tour Kellie Harrington Graeme McDowell Shane Lowry

For a man who suffered agonising defeats in almost all of the majors, it has been quite the year for Rory McIlroy.

Off the course, he has become the face of the PGA Tour and has stood up against the blatant sportswashing agenda of the Saudi- backed LIV Golf series.

On the course, the Holywood man has played some of the golf of his life. In the last year, McIlroy has finished top-8 in all four of the majors, has tasted victory on four occasions and took home a whopping $18 dollars when he snatched the FedEx Cup away from Scottie Scheffler.

Two weeks ago, McIlroy defended the CJ Cup and won for the 23rd time on the PGA Tour. A week later, Waterford's Séamus Power clinched victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship to win his second PGA Tour event.

This was a historic win, as it marked the first time ever that Irishmen had won consecutive events back-to-back on the PGA Tour.

A stunning achievement for a proud golfing Nation. One made even more admirable by the fact that Ireland's population is roughly the same size as US states Alabama, South Carolina and Minnesota.

From Darren Clarke to Pádraig Harrington, Ireland seems to constantly churn out world class golfers at a rapid rate. And while Rory McIlroy is by far the most famous and wealthy Irish golfer in history, it may surprise you to learn that the Northern Irish star is only second in the list of Irish golfers with the most professional victories.

1. Christy O'Connor Sr - 64 Professional wins including eight senior major titles

The honour of top-spot belongs to Christy O'Connor Sr. The legendary star of the sport won a staggering 64 professional tournaments between 1953-1983. In his later years, The Clontarf man won a slew of senior majors to cap off a glittering career.

2. Rory McIlroy - 34 Professional wins including four major titles

Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the FedEx Cup (Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Where to start with McIlroy? Four major title wins, millions upon millions of dollars in prize money, one of the true icons of the sport, he really has done it all. In terms of purely PGA and European Tour wins, McIlroy is by far the most successful. While a Masters triumph is all that separates 'Rors' from a grand-slam, a seriously prolific second half of his career is needed to catch O'Connor.

3. Fred Daly - 28 Professional wins including one major title

The Open Champion of 1947 was the only Irishman to win the event before Pádraig Harrington won the first of his two titles in 2007. 10 PGA/European Tour equivalency wins and another 18 Pro wins has the Portrush man ahead of some very notable names.

4. Pádraig Harrington - 26 Professional wins including three major titles and one senior major title

'Paddy' was the most successful Irish golfer in decades when he reached his peak in the latter 2000's. Between 2005 and 2008, Harrington won seven times on the PGA and European Tour, a tally that includes three major titles each more dramatic than the last. The 51-year-old regained the taste for major glory this year, winning the US Senior Open in the summer.

5. Darren Clarke - 25 Professional wins including one major title and one senior major title

As far back as 1989 Darren Clarke has been winning big events. In a stellar amateur career, the Tyrone man won the East, South, North and Close Championships in Ireland. Once he turned pro, Clarke continued to be a serial winner and arose to a career best ranking of 8 in 2001. The highlight of his career has to be his 2011 Open success at Royal St George's. Like Harrington, Clarke has won a senior major championship this year, with that win coming in The Open at Gleneagles.

Honourable mention Leona Maguire - 1 LPGA Tour win

Leona Maguire imitates a "selfie" as she poses with the trophy after winning the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Between 2015 and 2018, Maguire sat atop the amateur world rankings for a mind-boggling 135 weeks. She holds the record for the lowest ever final round score in a major, and that includes the male and female tour, as nobody has ever shot lower than 61 in a final round. Maguire secured her first win on tour earlier this year, a win that is surely the first of many.

You may be forgiven for thinking the list may start getting a little weak after the top five. But that is not the case. Some of the most famous and popular Irish Golfers ever just couldn't quite break into the top-five. From Shane Lowry to Graeme McDowell, these guys just couldn't quite make the top-five. Have a look below to see a list of the most successful Irish golfers ever.

64 - Christy O'Connor snr - 1 European Tour, 22 European Circuit, 8 Senior, 33 Other pro events

34 - Rory McIlroy - 23 PGA, 10 European Tour, 1 Australasian Tour

28 - Fred Daly - 10 PGA/European Tour equivalency, 18 Pro Irish wins

26 - Pádraig Harrington - 6 PGA, 12 European Tour, 1 Japan, 4 Asian, 3 PGA Champions

25 - Darren Clarke - 3 PGA, 13 European Tour, 3 Japan Tour, 1 Sunshine tour, 1 Challenge Tour, 4 PGA Champions

24 - Des Smyth - 8 European Tour, 2 Champions Tour, 5 European Senior Tour, 9 Pro Irish wins

19 - Harry Bradshaw - 5 European Circuit, 14 Pro Irish wins

16 - Graeme McDowell - 4 PGA, 10 European Tour, 2 Other pro wins

12 - Christy O’Connor Jnr - 4 European Tour, 4 Pro Irish wins, 4 Senior PGA

12 - Ronan Rafferty - 7 European Tour , 5 Australasian wins,

11 - David Feherty - 5 European Tour, 3 Sunshine Tour, 3 Pro Irish wins

10 - Eamonn Darcy - 4 European Tour, 2 Australasian, 4 Pro Irish wins