The best Irish golfers of all time
Who are the best Irish golfers of all time?
Scotland may be considered as the home of golf, but a short hop across the sea will reveal some of the greatest players in the history of the game. Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic have produced some top class talent, and many current players remain in contention for big tournaments.
Here is a list of the best Irish golfers of all time.
Rory McIlroy
Statistically, Rory McIlroy is the best Irish golfer in the history of the sport. He approached the 2023 US Masters as the number three ranked player in the world after winning the Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year.
In 2022, Rory landed no fewer than three tournament wins on the PGA circuit and he’s in top form coming into the crucial part of the season. It’s been nine years since he won a Major, but current golf betting markets list him among the favorites for each of the big four.
The US Masters is the only Major that McIlroy has yet to win. He came close in 2022 as he finished in second place behind Scottie Scheffler, and he’ll be targeting at least one big victory this year.
Padraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington became the first Irish golfer to win multiple major titles when he claimed the Open Championship in 2008. He’d gone into the tournament as the defending champion and finished the week as one of only a handful of players to enjoy back-to-back Open successes.
2008 was the peak year for Harrington. He’d started his Major campaign with a tie for fifth at the US Masters, and he closed out the season with victory in the PGA Championship. He continues to compete on both main Tours and at the senior events.
Darren Clarke
Veteran Darren Clarke produced one of golf’s biggest ever shocks at the 2011 Open Championship. A rank outsider at the age of 42, he defied the odds to win the Claret Jug at the Royal St George’s Club.
Clarke was born in Dungannon and had enjoyed some success on the European Tour. Prior to his greatest achievement, he’d claimed 13 wins on the circuit and had been an important member of European Ryder Cup teams.
As he approached the end of his career, few would have given Clarke a chance at the Open, but he managed the conditions better than anyone else. He finished three shots clear of the field, to mark another Major win for Irish golf.
Graeme McDowell
Another consistent golfer who broke through to claim a Major trophy, Graeme McDowell will go down in history as one of Ireland’s greatest. Born in Portrush in 1979, he’d been a regular on the European circuit, where he had won five titles, starting with the Scandinavian Masters in 2002.
McDowell had made little impression in the United States, before a surprise US Open win in 2010. Now at the veteran stages of his career, the Northern Irishman competes on the rival LIV Tour, but a concession means that he can still compete in the four Majors.
Shane Lowry
The most recent Irish winner of a Major tournament, Shane Lowry entered Ireland’s golfing Hall of Fame when he lifted the Open Championship trophy in 2019. It was a fitting triumph as the tournament returned to the Royal Portrush Course.
Lowry was in control throughout the four days and eventually came home with a significant cushion of six strokes over Tommy Fleetwood. The man from Clara broke through by winning the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009. His win at the Open Championship ten years later was no shock, and he continues to compete strongly on both main Tours
In 2023, Shane Lowry will go into the four Major tournaments with no fewer than six professional titles under his belt.
Seamus Power
Who will rise through the ranks to become the next Major winner among Irish golfers? At the age of 36, time may be running out for Seamus Power to claim one of the big titles in the sport, but he’s enjoying the best season of his long career.
Born in Waterford, Power turned pro in 2011 and had picked up five wins on minor tours. His big breakthrough came in July 2021 when he claimed the Barbasol Championship via a playoff. Just over a year later, he added the Bermuda Championship to his trophy cabinet.
He may be a late developer, but Seamus Power is hitting his peak, and there’s still time for more Tour wins.
Across 2023 and beyond, a number of players on this list will be in contention for Tour titles. Rory McIlroy may be the jewel in the Emerald Crown, but there is depth to Irish golf right now, and many more top names will be looking to break through in the coming seasons.
