Right after completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters Tournament in 2025, Rory McIlroy entered the 2026 season with little left to prove. The 36-year-old is already a Hall of Fame lock. But while he continues to show his caliber on the greens, one PGA Tour pro believes that McIlroy might be planning to put away his clubs earlier than expected.

Sitting for a candid conversation with Trey Wingo, 38-year-old Joel Dahmen said, “I mean, Rory, this is what, let’s call him, 35, 36 maybe. So, I mean, he’s worth, I mean, I think he’s going to be the next billionaire or something out there. It’s like, is he going to want to play after 40? So, it’ll be curious to see a lot of these guys won’t even continue on that path. I don’t think they will because they already have; they’ve done everything they can in the game, and they have enough money that it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Dahmen feels that golf’s biggest stars may not extend their careers deep into their 40s as past generations did. He feels that previously it was necessary because they still needed to earn. Big prize money wasn’t front-loaded the way it is today. 

He added, “It used to be you kind of had to play past 40 if you could, and you just continue to grind all the way to the Champions Tour. Now, I think you’re going to see shorter golf careers as this first batch of, you know, I don’t know what’s Scottie? 30? [He’s not even 30] Crazy.”

Contrary to the old times, now, stars like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are earning tens of millions annually in prize money. Adding to that, they are also eligible for bonuses and endorsements as well. Thus, with financial security achieved faster than ever, the traditional motivation to grind into the Champions Tour years may no longer apply, according to the American golfer. 

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Joel Dahmen further shared, “I think we’re 10 years away from that really being seen. But I think the way that guys are obviously, fitness has gotten better, but that means also swinging faster, right? And they’re bigger, faster, stronger. Well, your body’s not going to last if you’re swinging the golf club 185, 190 miles an hour, as long as guys who used to dink it around 165 miles an hour, right? So, I think they’re going to have enough money. They’re going to put everything they can into this thing for 15 years. They’re going to make a pile of it. Their bodies are going to get tired. They’re going to have their families settle down, and they’re going to have $250 million and be like, I’m good. I’ve traveled my whole career. I’ve done all this. I’ll settle down now.”

Trey Wingo, on the other hand, pointed out how massive early earnings are changing athlete motivation. With NIL deals in college football, some players are already making as much as or more than they might as late-round picks in the NFL. He suggests that this same dynamic could apply in golf, echoing the same thought shared by Dahmen.

Now, while discussions about his retirement are already creating a buzz, Rory McIlroy has shared how he is looking forward to achieving a few more goals before he bids farewell to the competitive sphere.

Rory McIlroy wants 3 more goals to fulfil before retirement 

For the world, Rory McIlroy has won everything. After waiting for 11 years, last year, he won the Green Jacket, completing his Career Grand Slam. Now, after securing a monumental victory, the biggest question that the world number 2 faced was- what’s next? 

For the record, the Northern Irish star does not have any intentions of retiring as of now. In fact, he is coming back to Augusta with a new aim in 2026. While last time his parents were not there to witness their son make history, the golfing icon is keen on getting his second Green Jacket, this time with his parents clapping for him with pride. 

However, despite McIlroy trying to concentrate on his game and take himself up the ladder of eliteness further, the retirement questions have been quite inevitable. Ahead of his Dubai Desert Classic appearance in January, McIlroy had quite an interesting take when asked about his future plans. 

Naming three of his unfinished wishes, the former world number 1 said, “Olympic medal. Open at St Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses, whether it’s Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, Merion.”

Explaining his stance further, McIlroy said that his goals keep shifting once things are ticked off. He said that a couple of years back, his mind would have told him that winning the Masters was his final frontier before retirement. But now, as the goal has been fulfilled, he is eager to move on to the next chapter. Well, while it might sound a bit weird, that’s how champions are made.