DP World Tour makes huge Rory McIlroy announcement ahead of season finale

The DP World Tour has unveiled the Rory McIlroy Award – a brand-new annual trophy created in honour of Europe’s first-ever winner of the career grand slam

Set to debut in 2026, the award will be presented to the DP World Tour member who performs best across all four majors in a single season. The recipient will be the player who earns the most Race to Dubai points from The Masters, US PGA, US Open and The Open.

The announcement celebrates McIlroy’s extraordinary feat of becoming just the sixth golfer in history to complete the men’s career grand slam – joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

McIlroy, 36, secured his place in the sport’s most exclusive club in April with an emotional victory at The Masters at Augusta National, defeating Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose in a playoff to finally claim the Green Jacket. It completed his collection alongside the US Open (2011), US PGA Championships (2012 and 2014) and The Open Championship (2014).

The introduction of the award was revealed this week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai – the season-ending event on the 2025 DP World Tour schedule – where McIlroy is chasing yet another slice of history by attempting to seal a seventh Race to Dubai title.

Rory McIlroy honoured by new DP World Tour award

"To have something named after you, that will be presented to future generations of players, is a huge honour and it is very humbling," said McIlroy.

"It certainly means a lot to me because the DP World Tour was where I started my career. I’ve always loved playing on it and, of course, representing Europe and the Tour in the Ryder Cup.

"I'm incredibly proud to be the first European to achieve the career grand slam. The Majors represent the pinnacle of our sport, and I hope my success can inspire other DP World Tour members to chase and achieve their own dreams for years to come.

"I look forward to seeing who becomes the first recipient of this new award in 2026 and it will be another very proud moment for me personally to present the trophy to them."

Guy Kinnings, DP World Tour Chief Executive, said: "Whilst Rory will no doubt go on to achieve many more great things during his career, as a Tour we wanted to commemorate his historic achievement this year of becoming the first European winner of the career grand slam.

"This new award will be a permanent legacy that we hope will inspire future generations of DP World Tour members aiming to follow in Rory’s footsteps on golf’s biggest stage.

"Rory has already made such an immense contribution to our Tour and to golf in general across his career to date. He is also a wonderful ambassador for global golf, so we are incredibly pleased to unveil The Rory McIlroy Award in his honour."

The Rory McIlroy Award will sit proudly alongside the European Tour Group’s other major annual honours named after the sport’s legends:

• Seve Ballesteros Award – Players’ Player of the Year
• Harry Vardon Trophy – Race to Dubai winner
• Sir Henry Cotton Award – Rookie of the Year
• John Jacobs Trophy – Legends Tour Order of Merit winner

As the award’s namesake, McIlroy will be ineligible to win it himself, leaving future Tour stars to battle for the title by emulating his excellence across golf’s biggest four championships.

Rory McIlroy on verge of seventh Race to Dubai title

McIlroy holds a commanding lead atop the DP World Tour Rankings heading into this week’s DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. 

The five-time major champion is aiming to clinch the Race to Dubai title for the seventh time in his glittering career.

Should he close out the season as expected, McIlroy would move to within one of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time European Tour Order of Merit record.

English duo Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton are the only two players still capable of catching him – though few would bet against McIlroy completing yet another milestone week in Dubai.

Verdict

This new award feels like the perfect way to enshrine McIlroy’s name in DP World Tour history – a legacy that goes beyond trophies and titles. 

It’s both a celebration of his era-defining achievements and an inspiration to every player chasing greatness across golf’s biggest stages.