Sergio Garcia was only 17 and still a fledgling amateur when he won the Catalonia Open two years before a thrilling victory in the Irish Open at Druids Glen, then earning his spurs as the youngest Ryder Cup golfer on record.

Like McIlroy and Garcia, Seve Ballesteros also won his first big European tournament at 19, the Dutch Open as did Ronan Rafferty when landing the Venezuelan Open.

But Nick Faldo, Jose Olazabal and Tiger Woods (above) were all 20 before they broke the ice on tour, Woods twice during a glorious three-week spell in September '96.

Greg Norman and Ernie Els both announced their arrival as champions-to-be at the age of 21; Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were both 22 when they first shot across the horizon, Nicklaus as US Open champion, and Tom Watson was 24 and Arnold Palmer a mature 25 before either stepped on golf's ladder of fame and fortune.

McIlroy can surely be proud of his place among the game's elite.