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Top 20 Players to Watch in 2019: No. 9 Rory McIlroy

By Brandon Raper

LAHAINA, HI - JANUARY 06: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 6, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - JANUARY 06: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 6, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Rory McIlroy returned to his winning ways on the PGA TOUR in 2018, but it still feels like many fans have moved on from the former world No. 1. That would be a big mistake, as he’s more focused than ever entering the 2019 campaign.

Let’s get this out of the way right now: Rory McIlroy being “just” ninth on this list is by no means a slight on him or his game. If anything, it’s a statement of just how good the upper echelon of the PGA TOUR is these days. And make no mistake, that level of competition is never higher than when Rory McIlroy is on top of his game.

So what are we to make of Rory in the new year? Let’s take a quick look back at his 2018 campaign to get a baseline for what will likely look like little more than wild speculation 12 months from now.

Coming off of a winless season in 2017, McIlroy didn’t get off to a great start on the PGA TOUR in 2018. In his first four starts of the season, the Ulsterman missed the cut at both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Valspar Championship. More surprisingly, he struggled to get any kind of rhythm going at the Honda Classic, never breaking par on his way to a 59th place finish. His only top-25 in that stretch came at Riviera for the Genesis Open, where McIlroy closed with a 68 to finish T20.

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Still, McIlroy persisted, and when he finally did put things together again, he showed up in a big way. The week after his missed cut at the Valspar, McIlroy posted Sunday round of 64 at Bay Hill, overtaking Henrik Stenson and Bryson DeChambeau for the comeback victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

McIlroy would go on to contend for the win at two of the 2018 majors, as well. He finished tied for fifth at the Masters, with a Sunday 74 playing in the final pairing with Patrick Reed. McIlroy also posted four consecutive rounds under par at the Open Championship. The only player in the field to accomplish that feat, but he couldn’t quite catch Francesco Molinari, finishing tied for second at Carnoustie.

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With so many players enjoying breakout success in 2018, it’s easy to forget just how good Rory still can be. McIlroy closed his PGA TOUR slate last season with six top-15 finishes in his last seven starts, ranking 13th in the FedEx Cup. He also finished inside the top-ten in the Race to Dubai on the back of four top-five European Tour finishes.

Never one to simply coast along, McIlroy appears to be as intense as ever heading into the new year. He’s as healthy as ever, and he also seems to be content doing what he wants to do, a privilege he’s earned over a decade of success. Look for McIlroy to make more PGA TOUR events than he has in the past (his T4 on Sunday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions was his first time competing at Kapalua) and working even harder to peak for the majors.

"“I’m finally healthy, I’m feeling good, I’ve got the schedule I want and I’m settled in my life,” McIlroy said in an interview with Golf Magazine. “I had 10 top-10s worldwide [in 2018], I played in six final groups, I had probably 10 realistic chances to win but to only convert one of them was disappointing.“But it’s about putting myself in those positions, so the more often I do that the better. Last year was probably getting to that point and this year is a clear road ahead.”"

We’ve seen what McIlroy’s capable of when he’s on top of his game. His 95 combined weeks at the world No. 1 slot are fourth all-time, and 14 weeks ahead of the next active player, Dustin Johnson. Even though his last major came in 2014, he’s never gone a season without at least one top-ten, either. The competition is greater today, sure, but McIlroy’s success is a big part of what brought those players to the dance.

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Rory McIlroy won’t want to wait until the majors to get back in the winner’s circle, but even if I knew he’d only play four times the rest of the year, I’d still be on the lookout. Green jackets, claret jugs, and the top spot in the world ranking are all well within his reach this year.

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