Rory McIlroy didn’t just have a great 2025 - he had the kind of season that cements legacies. The kind that forces the golf world to pause, recalibrate, and ask: are we witnessing the greatest European golfer of all time?
Colin Montgomerie thinks so. The eight-time Order of Merit winner and Ryder Cup legend didn’t hesitate to hand McIlroy that title, calling him “the best European player ever to play.” And after the year McIlroy just had, it’s hard to argue.
Let’s start with the crown jewel: The Masters. McIlroy finally completed the career grand slam in April, ending an 11-year major drought with a dramatic win at Augusta.
It was the missing piece in a career that already included U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship victories.
Now, he joins the most elite company in golf history - the rarefied air of those who’ve won all four majors.
But McIlroy didn’t stop there. He helped lead Europe to a historic Ryder Cup victory on American soil - the team’s first away win since 2012 - in New York.
That alone would be a headline-maker in any other year. For McIlroy, it was just one more line on a résumé that’s starting to read like a Hall of Fame induction speech.
And then there’s the DP World Tour. With his latest Race to Dubai title - his fourth in a row - McIlroy now sits just one behind Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight.
It’s not just the number that’s impressive; it’s the consistency. Year after year, McIlroy shows up, competes, and closes.
Montgomerie himself expects the record to fall soon - and he’s more than okay with that.
“If there was one to do that and ever break my record, I would rather it be him,” Montgomerie said. “Rory has achieved what no European player has achieved in the past by winning the career grand slam. There’s very little left for him.”
And that’s the thing - McIlroy’s done almost everything there is to do in the sport. Major wins.
Ryder Cup glory. Tour dominance.
The only question now is how much further he can stretch the gap between himself and the rest of Europe’s all-time greats.
Of course, Montgomerie’s own legacy isn’t lost in the conversation. McIlroy himself made a point to praise the Scot’s incredible run during the 1990s, when Montgomerie won seven consecutive Order of Merit titles from 1993 to 1999 - an era stacked with talent like Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, and Ian Woosnam.
“To sustain that for seven years straight, and win eight Order of Merits, it probably doesn't get talked about enough,” McIlroy said. And he’s right. That level of sustained excellence, especially in an era where the depth of European talent was arguably at its peak, is nothing short of remarkable.
Montgomerie, for his part, was clearly touched by the compliment. “He didn’t have to, and I appreciate what he said,” he noted.
“In a way, he’s probably right... It was a very astute thing to say, and I was very honoured.”
The contrast between eras is striking. Montgomerie recalled a time when the best in Europe - Seve, Faldo, Woosnam - were going head-to-head on the same fairways week in and week out.
That’s no longer the case, with many of today’s top Europeans, McIlroy included, spending most of their time on the PGA Tour. It makes McIlroy’s continued success on both sides of the Atlantic all the more impressive.
Looking ahead, the McIlroy-Scheffler rivalry is shaping up to define the next chapter of men’s golf. Between them, they claimed three of the four majors in 2025, and Montgomerie sees more of the same on the horizon.
“There’s very much the one and two in the world and then a gap to number three,” he said. “If it’s not Scottie Scheffler, it’s normally Rory McIlroy.”
And with The Masters once again looming as the starting line for McIlroy’s 2026 campaign, Montgomerie expects him to come in with a little less pressure - and a lot of momentum.
“The way that he’s playing the game right now is extraordinary.”
Montgomerie made his comments ahead of the Skechers World Champions Cup, a Ryder Cup-style showdown featuring Team USA, Team International, and Team Europe. He’ll be suiting up once again, this time in a global team competition that blends pride, passion, and a whole lot of competitive fire.
But make no mistake - while Montgomerie’s still in the mix, the spotlight belongs to McIlroy. And if 2025 was any indication, we’re not just witnessing greatness. We’re witnessing history.