European Tour creates Rory McIlroy Award, which he is ineligible for

Nov. 11 (UPI) — The DP World Tour created the Rory McIlroy Award, which will be presented annually to the member who performs best in all four majors, golf officials announced Tuesday.

McIlroy, who became the first European in history to achieve a career Grand Slam when he won the 2025 Masters, is ineligible to win the award of his namesake.

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

“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.”

The Rory McIlroy Award will be introduced in 2026 to the player who earns the most Race to Dubai points for the majors — the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and British Open.

The award was announced at the DP World Championship in Dubai, the finale of the DP World Tour’s 2025 campaign. McIlroy is vying for a record seventh Race to Dubai crown.

“I’m incredibly proud to be the first European to achieve the career Grand Slam,” McIlroy said. “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.”

The DP World Championship will be held from Thursday through Sunday at Jumeriah Golf Estates. McIlroy, the No. 2 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is favored to capture his fourth-consecutive Race to Dubai title.

“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,” DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings said.

“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.”