Rory McIlroy was forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of a back issue. But amid all of it, he has quietly reached a milestone that even legends like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have failed to achieve.

Bunkered’s Michael McEwan brought to the world’s notice that the Northern Irish golfer has been an ever-present inside the world’s top 20 since 4 October 2009. It’s been a total of 16 years, 5 months, and 4 days. If we break it down further, it’s a whopping 6,000 days as of tomorrow. This rare accolade highlights the remarkable consistency of his career. 

When Rory McIlroy’s streak began, he started in the 19th position as Woods and Mickelson held the first two spots. But the narrative for these stars has changed. Injury woes derailed Woods, and he now ranks 3,052nd. And after Mickelson joined LIV, he is currently at 1,283.

McIlroy went to the zenith of the rankings and took the highest rank back on March 4, 2012. Following that, he has achieved the highest rank nine times. He has reigned as the world’s number one golfer for a total of 106 weeks. He last held the top spot in 2020 before Jon Rahm took over. Now, Scottie Scheffler currently holds the top rank with a total score of 662.57771, while Rory McIlroy sits in second place with a score of 409.22624.

Back in 2023, he reflected on his feelings about being the number 1 golfer and said, “Yeah, of course I care about it. I think it’s a really cool thing to be ranked number one in whatever you do, but I think it just goes to show the level of depth and the level of talent that’s out here.”

“You know, hopefully it’s a bit of a sort of hot potato thing where me, Scottie, and Jon [Rahm] sort of pass it around a little bit because it means we’re all playing great golf,” Rory further added, referring to the rivalry he shared with Scheffler and Rahm on the greens.

Now, with the PLAYERS Championship and the 2026 Masters approaching, his sudden back injury has left the golf community bothered. While McIlroy would be looking to add another green jacket to his wardrobe this year, he has recently reflected on his early retirement plans.

Rory McIlroy opens up about early retirement plans amid thriving PGA Tour career

Stepping into 2026 with a career Grand Slam win, he participated in five events and managed to secure two top-5 finishes. But despite being consistently at the top, he is planning to bid farewell to the competitive realm sooner than expected. The 36-year-old Northern Irish icon does not want to extend his career and step into senior tour competition.

“I don’t want to be a touring professional golfer for the rest of my life. I want to do other things. I want to see the world, and I don’t want to see it just through the lens of golf courses and hotels. I want to actually see the world,” said McIlroy while talking to Kevin Van Valkenburg, the host of Fried Egg Golf.

He further added, “Being a professional golfer is an amazing life, and I’m incredibly lucky, but at the same time, there are things that I haven’t done that I would like to do. I’d say I’ll spend a lot of my time doing those things.”

McIlroy further emphasized that he is looking forward to sticking to his plan to embrace early retirement. He acknowledged how the sport has shaped him, but is not eager to play late into his 40s. 

Reflecting on the same, PGA Tour pro Joel Dahmen shared that names like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler might look to hang their clubs sooner than the legends of the previous era. Dahmen explained that the prize money golfers now earn from hitting the balls was a dream for many just a few decades ago. Thus, the athletes are achieving their financial security, which in turn convinces them to retire early.