It was not Michael Brennan’s first appearance on the PGA Tour. He had played the 2022 Genesis Invitational. However, the 23-year-old had only turned pro last year. So when he was playing the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship, he was participating in a PGA Tour event for the first time as a pro golfer. And in his very first attempt, Brennan did the unthinkable. On a sponsor exemption, he won the title at the Black Desert Resort. With that, he did something that even Rory McIlroy couldn’t achieve.

As tweeted by Nosferatu, “Things that #43 in #OWGR, Michael Brennan, will never get to experience… – going to #KFT before #PGATour. – being a top 100 player in the world before being a top 50 #OWGR. He joins the list of the fastest players to reach Top 50 in the world rankings!” After his excellent win in Utah, Brennan jumped from world no. 111 to 43. He earned his PGA Tour card for the next two seasons and never had to qualify through the Korn Ferry Tour to achieve the feat.

On the other hand, Rory McIlroy had to work hard to get his membership. In his youth, he broke through the ranks in the DP World Tour. The Irishman finished second in the Race To Dubai leaderboard in 2009 and received his PGA Tour card for the 2010 season. Finally, in his 18th attempt, McIlroy captured his first title with the 2010
Quail Hollow Championship.

Interestingly, Nosferatu also showcased a table that reflected how quickly players jumped from over 1000 to the top 50 in the world. And Brennan has McIlroy beat in those numbers as well. It took him just over 60 weeks to achieve the feat, nearly on par with Xander Schauffele. On the other hand, Rors required over 70 weeks to go from over 1000 to the top 50.

The sharp rise of Michael Brennan has lined him up for a lot of opportunities in the near future. Let’s look at what more he can accomplish apart from besting the remarkable journey of Rory McIlroy.

Other goals for Michael Brennan after setting records that even Rory McIlroy didn’t make

After breaking into the top 50, Michael Brennan will have his eyes set on qualifying for big events. And his win in Utah has already helped him make it into the field for two huge tournaments. The 23-year-old has officially qualified for The Players Championship and the PGA Championship in 2026. He is yet to make the field for the Signature events. So that will certainly be on his radar.

However, if he maintains the top 50 positions for two months, which he should be able to comfortably do, then there is another big tournament he will qualify for. If Michael Brennan is still within the top 50 golfers in the OWGR leaderboard by the end of 2025, then he will also make the field for the 2026 Masters Tournament. After delivering such a strong performance at the Black Desert Resort, he will certainly be eager to maintain his rank so he can qualify for the major. Hopefully his manager has passed on the message to him.