Rory McIlroy capped off a career-defining year with his seventh title at the Race to Dubai, finishing top of the DP World Tour Achievement Award for the fourth consecutive season.
2025 was a memorable year in which McIlroy completed a career Grand Slam at the Masters, scored a dramatic playoff victory at the Amgen Irish Open, and starred for Team Europe in a historic Ryder Cup victory in New York.
McIlroy went into the season-ending DP World Tour Championship with a 767-point lead over Marco Penge and 1,720 points over Tyrrell Hatton in the Race to Dubai rankings, but the British pair were the only two to potentially overtake him.
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A look back at Rory McIlroy’s four world victories in 2025, including his Grand Slam success at the Masters, as well as wins on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Hatton needed a win, Penge needed at least a tie for second and a tie for third to snatch the Race to Dubai victory, but both fell short, with McIlroy finishing runner-up to maintain the lead and retain the Harry Vardon Trophy.
McIlroy’s seventh Distinguished Service Medal is one more than Seve Ballesteros won during his career and ranks second all-time behind Colin Montgomery.
“It was great to match him (Ballesteros) last year, but to surpass him this year, yeah, I never would have dreamed of getting to this point,” McIlroy said. “He means so much to this Tour and to the European Ryder Cup team. We greatly value his spirit, his quotes and everything he gave to European golf.
“It (Montgomery’s record) seems to be within reach. I would like to be the winningest European in terms of medals of merit and races in a season. I probably have a few more good years left, so hopefully I can catch up with him and surpass him.”
Prior to his 2025 success, McIlroy also topped the DP World Tour rankings in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Here’s a closer look at how he wrapped up his Race to Dubai victory…
2012
McIlroy first reached world No. 1 in 2012, winning a major by a record margin at the PGA Championship and becoming the top of the Order of Merit on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
He was runner-up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, WGC Accenture Match Play Championship and BMW Masters, had top-three finishes at the WGC Cadillac Championship and Barclays Singapore Open, and secured the Order of Merit before winning the DP World Tour Championship by two strokes.
Rory McIlroy had already finished racing to Dubai before winning the 2012 DP World Tour Championship.
2014
A memorable summer saw McIlroy win back-to-back major titles at the British Open, the third round of his career Grand Slam, and the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, with a two-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
McIlroy also won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth over Shane Lowry earlier in the season, and also finished tied for second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and DP World Tour Championship.
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Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley reflects on Rory McIlroy’s victory at Valhalla at the 2014 PGA Championship, clinching his fourth major title in recent years
2015
McIlroy won the DP World Tour three times and the World Tour five times, despite missing the British Open and his title defense for a two-month campaign due to an ankle injury.
Following wins at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and WGC-Cadillac Match Play, followed by a one-shot victory over Andy Sullivan at the season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy had an eventful season, finishing runner-up in Abu Dhabi and fourth at the Masters.
Rory McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship for the second time in 2015
2022
McIlroy finished tied for fourth at the DP World Tour Championship, finishing 12th or worse in any event during the DP World Tour season, and won his first Harry Vardon Trophy in seven years.
Scottie Scheffler’s runner-up finish at the Masters and third-place finish at the British Open, where he led with nine holes to play, were part of another major-less season, but he remained solid with a tie for second at the BMW PGA Championship and third at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.
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The best action from the thrilling final round of the 150th Open as Cameron Smith lifts the claret jug and Rory McIlroy falls short
2023
McIlroy won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in the season opener, won the Genesis Scottish Open in July ahead of Robert McIntyre, was one of three players to finish in the top seven at a major during the season and finished runner-up at the US Open.
He reached the semifinals of the WGC and Dell Technologies Match Play, tied for seventh at the PGA Championship, finished sixth at the British Open, and finished in the top seven at the BMW PGA Championship, earning him the Order of Merit before the season finale in Dubai.
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Highlights of Rory McIlroy’s dramatic final round victory at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open
2024
McIlroy successfully defended his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title and also won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship during a solid season, posting seven top-five finishes in addition to two wins.
He finished second to Tommy Fleetwood at the Dubai Invitational, was heartbroken by Bryson DeChambeau on the final hole at the US Open, lost a late lead at the Irish Open and was eliminated in a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship.
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Rory McIlroy came close to winning the Dubai Invitational, US Open, Irish Open, and BMW PGA Championship, but ultimately fell just short in all four tournaments.
2025
McIlroy opened with a top-four finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, ended an 11-year wait for a fifth major title by defeating Justin Rose in a playoff at the Masters, tied for second at the Genesis Scottish Open that week, and took a share of seventh in his homeland at the Genesis Scottish Open the week before.
He won the Amgen Irish Open at K Club, defeating Joachim Lagergren in a playoff, and finished tied for third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, but lost to Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff, making it impossible for him to defend his title at the DP World Tour Championship.
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Iona Stephen and Paul McGinley look back at Rory McIlroy’s dramatic Amgen Irish Open win at the K Club
What’s next for McIlroy?
McIlroy will make three appearances on the DP World Tour in the coming months: the Australian Open (December 4-7), the Dubai Invitational (January 15-18) and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 22-25).
McIlroy has a chance to become the first player to win back-to-back titles at the Masters in April this year, moving him one major away from matching Sir Nick Faldo’s record of six major wins, while aiming for further success on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
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Rory McIlroy reacts to losing to Matt Fitzpatrick in DP World Tour Championship, surpassing Seve Ballesteros’ medal total
What’s next?
The new DP World Tour season begins with the BMW Australian PGA Championship, which will be held at the Royal Queensland GC in Brisbane from November 27 to 30 and will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
McIlroy will return to action the following week at the Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne GC, followed in the same week by the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC in South Africa, with both events also broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf. Stream DP World Tour and more without a contract.
