Rory McIlroy has been hailed as “the best European golfer ever” by Colin Montgomerie after the five-time major champion’s outstanding 2025 season.
McIlroy ended an 11-year major drought and completed the career Grand Slam with a dramatic Masters triumph in April. His season also included a Ryder Cup away win in New York — Europe’s first victory on US soil since 2012 — and a seventh DP World Tour Order of Merit title. His latest Race to Dubai success, his fourth consecutive, leaves him one behind Montgomerie’s record eight Order of Merit titles.
“If there was one to do that and ever break my record, I would rather it be him,” Montgomerie told Sky Sports. “I would say now that Rory has won all four majors, I think you’d have to put him ahead of [Nick] Faldo and say that Rory is the best European player ever to play.
“Faldo has six majors to Rory and Seve [Ballesteros]’s five. Does that necessarily mean Faldo is better than Rory? Rory has achieved what no European player has achieved in the past by winning the career grand slam.”
Montgomerie added: “There’s very little left for him. Having won all the majors, having won the Ryder Cup away twice, as he has in 2012 and 2025, there’s one thing left. I’m sure that in the years to come, he’ll break my record.”
McIlroy, ahead of securing his latest Order of Merit title, returned the compliment by praising Montgomerie as “underrated”, highlighting the Scot’s run of seven consecutive Order of Merits from 1993-99. “To sustain that for seven years straight, and win eight Order of Merits, it probably doesn’t get talked about enough,” McIlroy said. “Especially in that golden age of European golf where he’s going up against Faldo, [Sandy] Lyle, [Bernard] Langer and Woosie [Ian Woosnam].”
Montgomerie said he was “very honoured” by McIlroy’s words. “He didn’t have to, and I appreciate what he said,” he said, reflecting on how European golf has changed since his playing days. “I remember when I won the Scandinavian Masters in 1991 to get onto the Ryder Cup team, I remember Seve was second, Faldo was third and Woosnam was fourth. That doesn’t happen now in Europe.”
On the wider game, Montgomerie noted the current dominance of McIlroy and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who shared three of the four majors in 2025, and predicted that the pair will continue to lead into 2026. “There’s very much the one and two in the world and then a gap to number three,” he said. “If it’s not Scottie Scheffler, it’s normally Rory McIlroy. Rory’s season will really start with The Masters. He has to focus on that and see how he goes there, coming back as defending champion. There will be a little less pressure on him, and I expect Rory to have a great season. The way that he’s playing the game right now is extraordinary.”
Montgomerie made his comments to Sky Sports ahead of representing Team Europe in the Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children’s, from December 4-7 — a Ryder Cup- and Presidents Cup-inspired global team competition featuring Team USA, Team International and Team Europe.