Sir Nick Faldo has the most major title wins of any European golfer. Colin Montgomerie sits clear with eight European Tour Order of Merits. The spirit of Seve Ballesteros - and what he means to European golf - endures.
But when it comes to the greatest European golfer of all, there is no question in my mind that Rory McIlory sits top of the list.
Faldo may have one more major win, but the fact Rory is a Grand Slam winner moves him ahead. McIlroy has sat and passed the four major exams, he is the complete player.
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A number of guys, great players, have got to three of the four majors and then the pressure of trying to win the last one has been just too hard for them to surmount, but not Rory.
To do it the way he did in Augusta this year to complete that Grand Slam, it showed his mental resilience. To keep coming back, to keep knocking on the door, getting closer and closer before finally getting over the line. For me, that makes him the most successful.
But it's even bigger than that. He's one of the greatest sports people we have ever seen anywhere - in any sport. That's how high a bar, in my opinion, Rory McIlroy has set.
I know in Northern Ireland they speak very highly of George Best. I put him up there with George Best. And certainly, with golfing goggles on, I put him above George Best because of what he's achieved on a world stage.
As great as George Best was, he never had the opportunity to play in a World Cup or win a World Cup. Despite his success at Manchester United, it's hard to say that he was the greatest soccer player of all time.
But with Rory McIlroy, you'd have to say he is up there with the very elite, one of the top five players to have ever played the game of golf. And that for me makes him an elite sportsman and one of the greatest sportsmen of all time.
McIlroy's next challenge?
I've talked a lot about Rory McIlroy. When he is emotionally engaged in something, that is when he's at his best.
Winning the Masters and then winning a Ryder Cup away from home were two massive things he wanted to do at the start of the year.
The big challenge for him now, as he goes into his late 30s, is can he continue that motivation despite the fact he's achieved everything in the game?
The Order of Merit is definitely something that's alive. He will want to overtake Monty and be the guy with the most Order of Merit titles, so that's going to continue to burn.
But in terms of Rory becoming the number one player in the game again, I don't know if that's going to happen. Scottie Scheffler is just so consistent and seems to be able to reel off five or six wins every single year on the PGA Tour with his consistency and monotony.
Remember the world rankings are not necessarily who people consider to be the best player in the game. They are based on a two-year performance, week in, week out, never having a drop - that is what Scottie Scheffler is brilliant at.
Rory is a little bit in and out and that makes him so appealing because when he's on, he's fantastic to watch, but there are times then when he flatlines and goes out of the picture.
Nevertheless, he's still number two in the world and adding to his major championships haul, joining and even surpassing Nick Faldo, would be the first objective as he tries to become the European with the most major titles ever to go with the Grand Slam.
McIlroy now the 'complete player'
This time two or three years ago, we all looked at Rory and thought he wasn't hitting his wedge shots close enough, wasn't holing putts he should and wasn't taking advantage of opportunities.
But now he is, and he really is a complete player. I'd really challenge you to pick a weakness in Rory's game.
Yes, he comes a little bit in and out mentally in terms of engagement, and he does drop concentration sometimes and make the odd mistake, but in terms of the quality of his play now right through the bag, it's very hard to pick a weakness.
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