Whatever he achieves from here, Rory McIlroy deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest golfers of all time, with the Northern Irishman one of just six males to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Rory McIlroy landed The Masters crown in dramatic circumstances earlier this year. It was the 36-year-old’s fifth major victory. Crucially, it meant that he has now won all four of the major titles.
McIlroy is the only European male to have won the Career Grand Slam. He is one of the brightest talents the game has had, certainly in the modern era.
Interestingly, there is another British player now being backed for the world number one spot in the future.
The British golfer being tipped to reach world number one
The 2025 season has proved to be a real breakout year for Lottie Woad. The 21-year-old certainly made an impression during her time as an amateur.
She won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2024 and marked her bow in the Women’s British Open with a top 10 finish later that year.
Woad went on to win the Irish Open this year before finishing third at the Evian Championship. And she celebrated her professional debut by winning the Women’s Scottish Open.
With that, Karen Stupples has told The Times that it is simply a matter of time before Woad reaches the summit of the game.
“There’s no question [she’s the greatest British talent since Rory],” she said. “A future world number one is something that I’m expecting. We have talented players like Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, but they haven’t got there.
“When I look at Lottie, her skillset and the way she goes about her work, it is just so disciplined and I can totally see her in that position, and I think it’s great for UK golf that we have this opportunity. Obviously we have it with Rory. Now we have it from a female perspective.”
The star-studded top 10 in the world rankings with Lottie Woad on the cusp of breaking in
Woad’s rise has been a rapid one. She is currently 11th in the world rankings.
Charley Hull is one of the players ahead of her, with the 29-year-old fifth currently. It is incredible that Hull is still awaiting her first major victory given the talent she possesses.
Ahead of her is the likes of Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, and Nelly Korda. The trio have all won multiple majors, while Ko and Korda are both Olympic gold medallists.
They are all trying to catch Jeeno Thitikul. Like Woad, it appears inevitable that she will take that next step and win a first major before too long.
| Ranking | Player | Major wins |
| 1 | Jeeno Thitikul | 0 |
| 2 | Nelly Korda | 2 |
| 3 | Minjee Lee | 3 |
| 4 | Lydia Ko | 3 |
| 5 | Charley Hull | 0 |
| 6 | Miyu Yamashita | 1 |
| 7 | Ruoning Yin | 1 |
| 8 | Hyojoo Kim | 1 |
| 9 | Mao Saigo | 1 |
| 10 | Angel Yin | 0 |
It is fantastic for the women’s game to have so many world-class players at or near the peak of their powers.
It says something that Woad is being tipped to potentially be the best of the lot.
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