Rory McIlroy set for schedule feat he hasn’t achieved since his teenage years

Rory McIlroy will begin the 2026 golf season by doing something he hasn’t done since his teenage years — and it’s a statistic that has genuinely raised a few eyebrows.

When McIlroy tees it up in back-to-back events in Dubai on the DP World Tour this month, it will mark the first time he has played eight DP World Tour tournaments in succession since he was a teenager cutting his teeth on what was then known as the European Tour.

The eye-catching stat was highlighted by golf numbers guru Nosferatu on X (formerly Twitter), who accompanied it with a throwback image of a fresh-faced, teenage McIlroy from his early professional days.

• Rory McIlroy Schedule 2026

Nosferatu wrote: “Stat of the New Year. Rory is starting to make headlines early in 2026… By Jan 25th (after the Dubai Desert Classic) @McIlroyRory would’ve played eight @DPWorldTour events in succession, something that hasn’t happened since he was a teenager…”

McIlroy, 36, has confirmed he will return to Dubai Creek Resort for the Dubai Invitational, which takes place from 15–18 January and will serve as his opening start of 2026. 

He will then remain in the region for the following week’s Dubai Desert Classic at the iconic Emirates Golf Club.

The Dubai Desert Classic holds special significance for McIlroy. It was there that he claimed his first-ever European Tour victory in 2009, and he has since gone on to become a record four-time champion, lifting the trophy again in 2015, 2023 and 2024.

There is plenty at stake financially too, with a $2.75 million prize purse on offer at the Dubai Invitational, followed by an inflated $9 million purse at the Dubai Desert Classic.

McIlroy's soon-to-be run of eight straight DP World Tour events first began with victory at the Irish Open in a dramatic playoff over Joakim Lagergren. He had to make a 30-footer eagle on the 72nd hole to force extra holes with the Swede, before going on to defeat him. 

He then finished T20 at the BMW PGA at famed Wentworth, before finishing a disappointing T26 on his Indian debut at the DP World India Championship. 

McIlroy then bounced back with impressive finishes of T3 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and a solo second at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship where he lost out to his Ryder Cup teammate Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Nevertheless, that performance was still good enough for McIlroy to lift a fourth straight Race to Dubai trophy. 

He then ended his 2025 campaign with a T14 at the Crown Australian Open, an event included as part of the 2026 DP World Tour season. 

Following his Middle East double-header, McIlroy will head back to the United States to begin his PGA Tour campaign, building momentum ahead of his Masters title defence at Augusta National in April.

McIlroy memorably completed the career Grand Slam at The Masters last April, becoming just the sixth player in the modern era to achieve the feat. In doing so, he joined the most exclusive club in golf alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

His 2025 season was one of the most complete of his career. McIlroy claimed three PGA Tour victories — at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Players Championship and The Masters — while also winning a second Irish Open at The K Club in front of his home fans. That run helped him secure a seventh Race to Dubai title, moving him to within one of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time Order of Merit record.

The World No.2 also played a central role in Europe’s 15–13 Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage last September, although the week was marred by some deeply unpleasant scenes. McIlroy was subjected to verbal abuse, particularly on the Saturday, while his wife Erica was struck on the head by a thrown drink in one of the most shocking incidents ever witnessed at a Ryder Cup.

McIlroy rounded off the year by being crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming only the third golfer to receive the prestigious award.

The Northern Irishman made his first public appearance of 2026 under the lights on Friday night as his Boston Common Golf took down Los Angeles GC 7-5 in the second week of TGL. The fixture marked Boston Common's first of the new TGL season and the win puts them top of the league.

Keep up to speed with the latest scores and fixtures from TGL. 

What lies ahead in 2026 remains to be seen, but replicating a season like 2025 will be no small task. That said, with the burden of the career Grand Slam finally lifted — and with a Masters green jacket and an away Ryder Cup win now safely in the locker — many observers, ourselves included at GolfMagic, expect McIlroy to play with a renewed sense of freedom.

If he does, don’t be surprised if that win tally starts climbing again.