DP World Tour launches Rory McIlroy Award

The DP World Tour today announced the launch of the Rory McIlroy Award, a new annual trophy named after the first European to win a career Grand Slam in golf. The award will be presented to the individual DP World Tour member who performs best across all four Major Championships in a season. It will be introduced for the first time in the 2026 season. The winner is the member who accumulates the most cumulative points for the Race to Dubai at the four Major Championships (Masters Tournament, US PGA Championship, US Open and The Open).

The Rory McIlroy Award commemorates the historic achievement of the Northern Irishman, who became only the sixth golfer in the history of professional men's golf to win all four Major Championships. Only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Players, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have also achieved this feat.

McIlroy joined golf's most exclusive club in April with an emotional victory at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National. He defeated his European Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose in a play-off and added the Green Jacket to his collection, which already included the US Open (won in 2011), his two US PGA Championships (2012 and 2014) and the Claret Jug (won at The Open Championship in 2014).

Rory McIlroy on the award: "A huge honor"

The introduction of the Rory McIlroy Award was announced at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the final event of the 2025 DP World Tour season, where the 36-year-old will be aiming for his seventh Race to Dubai title.

McIlroy said: "To have something named after me and to be awarded to future generations of players is a huge honor and makes me very humble. It means an incredible amount to me as the DP World Tour was where my career started. I've always loved playing here and of course representing Europe and the Tour at the Ryder Cup. I'm incredibly proud to be the first European to reach the career Grand Slam. The Majors represent the pinnacle of our sport and I hope my success can inspire other members of the DP World Tour to pursue and realize their own dreams in the years to come. I'm excited to see who will be the first recipient of this new award in 2026 and it will be another very proud moment for me personally to present them with the trophy."

"He is a wonderful ambassador for global golf"

Guy Kinnings, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: "While Rory will undoubtedly go on to achieve many more great things during his career, as a Tour we wanted to recognize his historic achievement this year of becoming the first European winner of the Career Grand Slam. This new award will be a lasting legacy that we hope will inspire future generations of DP World Tour members to follow in Rory's footsteps on golf's biggest stage. Rory has already made an immense contribution to our Tour and to golf in general. He is also a wonderful ambassador for global golf, so we are incredibly pleased to unveil the Rory McIlroy Award in his honor."

The Rory McIlroy Award joins the European Tour Group's four other prestigious annual awards named after players who have made a hugely significant contribution to golf: Seven Ballesteros, Harry Vardon, Sir Henry Cotton and John Jacobs.

Other DP World Tour Awards

The Seve Ballesteros Award is presented annually to the member voted by the players as Player of the Year and the Harry Vardon Trophy to the winner of the Race to Dubai, while the Rookie of the Year receives the Sir Henry Cotton Award. The John Jacobs Trophy, named after the founding father of the European Tour, will be presented to the winner of the Legends Tour Order of Merit.

As this new award is named in his honor, McIlroy himself is excluded from the possibility of winning the trophy. Instead, it will be awarded to members who want to repeat his successes in golf's four biggest individual tournaments.

(Text: European Tour Group Communications)