Rory McIlroy wants to be the best European ever – but which player holds this title?

Rory McIlroy wants to be Europe’s best-ever golfer.

At the US Open and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2024, the Northern Irishman reiterated his desire to be known as the continent’s best, overtaking the achievements of legends like Sir Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer.

“I’m a European player. I would like to go down as the most successful European of all time,” he said in the Middle East in November 2024. “Obviously Race to Dubai wins would count to that but also major championships and hopefully I’ve got a few more Ryder Cups ahead of me as well.

“So that’s something that I would like to, I think is a goal that’s quite attainable over the next 10 years. I’m very proud to be from Europe and have played on this tour and played on this tour consistently.

“It’s something that I’m very proud of and I just think of the greats of European golf that I grew up watching, whether it was Faldo or Woosie or Langer or just sort of the really heyday of The European Tour in the ’90s, I guess.

“I remember when I got my – not even my European Tour card. I remember when I got my first money clip just when I signed up to be a member and that was a really proud moment for me. That’s something that I’ve always been proud of and something I want to continue to do.”

McIlroy has won many titles since turning professional in 2007. He has 40 professional titles which includes four major championships. He has won the Race to Dubai five times and like he mentioned, he is a European stalwart at the Ryder Cup.

He is looking to overtake many great names that have come before him in terms of trophies. But as well as trophies, the flare and style that a player performs with is incredibly important. The excitement of Seve and the power of Woosnam still rings through the minds of European golf fans.

Let’s take a look at who is in contention to be remembered as the best European golfers of all time.

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Best European golfers of all time: Who holds the crown?

Rory McIlroy

Majors: 4

Professional wins: 40

McIlroy is the one who wants the title. He has four major trophies and many more from America, Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Australia which does no harm to his portfolio. He is chasing the players he looked up to growing up and he has still plenty of years and opportunites on the horizon.

Annika Sorenstam

Majors: 10

Professional wins: 97

Annika Sorenstam is the undisputed queen of the modern era of women’s golf. The super Swede only has three players ahead of her in the all-time major standings (Patty Berg, Mickey Wright, Louise Suggs) and it doesn’t seem like any current Europeans will come close to lacing her golf shoes.

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Sir Nick Faldo

Majors: 6

Professional wins: 43

What more can you say about Sir Nick Faldo. He won The Open three times and the Masters three times. The Englishman was the ultimate competitor and owner of one of the most repeatable and satisfying golf swings ever to grace the game.

Seve Ballesteros

Majors: 5

Professional wins: 90

Seve Ballesteros spoke to the hearts of golf fans and players across the planet both before and after his death in 2011. The Spaniard won five majors (two at the Masters and three Opens) with his swash-buckling style that kept spectators on the edge of their seats at home and on the ground.

Ian Woosnam

Majors: 1

Professional wins: 52

Ian Woosnam had one of the most powerful swings in his generation, and is one of the most talented and popular golfers to come from Europe. He won the Masters in 1991 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, flying the flag for Wales on both sides of the pond.

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Jon Rahm

Majors: 2

Professional wins: 22

Jon Rahm is the only contemporary of McIlroy’s on this list. However, he is a former US Open and Masters champion and he still has a beastly presence on the golf course, albeit some golf fans might see less of him now that he has moved to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.

Jose Maria Olazabal

Majors: 2

Professional wins: 30

Jose Maria Olazabal is one of the great ambassadors of the sport and for European golf. He is known for his loving relationship and longstanding affection for Ballesteros which was forged at the Ryder Cup. Olazabal won two Masters titles and played in seven Ryder Cups for Team Europe.

Bernhard Langer

Majors: 2

Professional wins: 123

Bernhard Langer is more timeless than anyone on this sheet. After winning the Masters twice and 42 times on the formerly-named European Tour, he has become the king of the senior sphere. He has won 12 major championships and asserted a large level of dominance across the PGA Tour Champions circuit in America.

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Colin Montgomerie

Majors: 0

Professional wins: 54

Colin Montgomerie is the best player to never win a major. He came second three times at the US Open, once at the PGA Championship and once at The Open. The Scotsman has been a superb servant of European golf, winning eight Order of Merit titles on the European Tour and reaching No.2 in the world rankings.

Sandy Lyle

Majors: 2

Professional wins: 30

Sandy Lyle won The Open at Royal St. George’s and the Masters in memorable fashion with a superb fairway bunker shot on the 18th hole at Augusta National in 1988. Like Montgomerie, he was also once ranked second in the world and has won 18 times on the European Tour.

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Which of these is your pick of the best European golfers of all time? Have we missed anyone from the list of the best European golfers of all time? Tell us on X!