Rory McIlroy is undoubtedly one of the greatest golfers to ever walk the planet but there was a moment in time that Graeme McDowell considered him the best ever.
McIlroy is now a five-time major champion after his Masters win this year completed the grand slam for him.
With the pressure off since that win at Augusta, McIlroy has played some of the finest golf of his career.
He won The Players and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before the Masters, and he finished the season with six top 25s in a row before also starring at the Ryder Cup for Team Europe.
However, while McIlroy might be playing well in 2025, it was all the way back in 2011 when Graeme McDowell paid him the ultimate compliment.
Why Graeme McDowell branded Rory McIlroy the greatest golfer he’d ever seen
Given the career Graeme McDowell has had and the names he’s played with and been around, branding McIlroy as the best he’s seen is quite the statement.
However, after witnessing McIlroy wipe the floor with the field and win by eight shots at the 2011 US Open at Congressional, McDowell did just that.
“Rory’s been on a different stratosphere to the rest of us, and he’s ran away with this golf tournament in unbelievable fashion,” McDowell commented at the time.
“It’s special for Irish golf, special for a small country like Northern Ireland. Very proud of him and you know, nothing surprises me. He’s that good and I’ve known that for a long time.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever seen. There has been question marks in the past on is he a good enough putter, is he a good enough closer and I think he answered those questions this weekend in outstanding fashion. Where does he go from here? I think he can go on and do big things now.”
What Rory McIlroy said after winning the US Open in 2011
The win at Congressional was memorable for McIlroy and came in the same year he had blown a huge lead at the Masters by shooting 80 in round four.
It effectively announced McIlroy to US shores as a big-time player and at the time, it was seen as the catalyst for more to come for Rory.
Indeed, at the time, McIlroy was delighted and admitted that it was very special to be the second Northern Irishman in a row to win the tournament.
“The whole week has been incredible – I could not have asked for any more and I am so happy to hold this trophy,” McIlroy said after winning.
“For such a small nation to win two US Opens in a row is pretty special. As Graeme [McDowell] said last year, there will be a lot of pints of Guinness going down.
“I know a few of my friends will be partying and I can’t wait to get home and join them.”
Since then, McIlroy has celebrated four more major victories, albeit there is a sense that it could have been more.
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