Rory McIlroy & 9 other top golfers’ football allegiances revealed
The Masters is always one of the highlights of the sporting calendar – a rare weekend whereby football followers might switch over and keep an eye on something else.
But which club does 2025 Masters hopeful Rory McIlroy support? And which of golf’s other famous faces are interested in football?
We’ve picked out 10 top golfers and identified their footballing allegiances.
Rory McIlroy – Manchester United
After putting money into F1 team Alpine, McIlroy was tipped to join a team of investors in Leeds United after the 49ers Enterprises takeover in 2023 – but he didn’t get involved for obvious reasons.
“They asked me if I wanted to come on board and I was like, as a Manchester United fan, can’t go anywhere near that,” McIlroy told the BBC at the time.
He has suggested that he’s open to getting involved in his boyhood club, though.
McIlroy says that he would have “loved to have taken a 0.0001% share” when the Glazers invited investment, though nothing materialised.
“If another opportunity comes my way I will definitely look at it,” he continued.
“To be able to own even a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage of the club you grew up cheering on would be very cool.”
Jon Rahm – Athletic Bilbao
The 2023 Masters winner hails from a small town in the Basque country and grew up supporting Bilbao’s Athletic Club.
Rahm was honoured by the club as a special guest and presented to the fans ahead of a La Liga clash with Eibar back in 2019.
And in December 2023, he was seen jumping along with the fans while watching a 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid during the historic club’s 125th birthday celebrations.
Justin Rose – Chelsea
Raised in Hampshire, Rose grew up supporting Chelsea and has often spoken about his love of the Blues over the years – from a heartfelt tribute to John Terry when the captain departed Stamford Bridge to urging Eden Hazard to stay years later.
“I have a home in Chelsea (London) too, and so it’s something I connect with my son a lot on,” Rose told Forbes in 2020.
“My son’s not a golfer and he’s 11 years old. He loves football, and I’ve gotten more into football again as a result of it.
“I wouldn’t say he hates Man United, but there’s always that rivalry. When they were really good, United were much easier to hate. But he ‘bleeds blue’ as we say, and football is something that we really connect on.”
Rose is also a passionate supporter of the England national team and has struck up a friendship with Harry Kane.
Colin Montgomerie – Leeds United
The 61-year-old is a proud Scot but he grew up in Yorkshire and had a season ticket at Elland Road as a youngster.
“My father’s business was McDonalds Biscuits on Hillington Estate in Glasgow,” Montgomerie told Sky Sports.
“He changed jobs and went down to Fox’s Biscuits in Batley, West Yorkshire. We moved to Ilkley, and half way between Ilkley and Batley was Leeds. My father was supporting Partick Thistle for many years. With my brother, we all loved football and suddenly there was this team that were very good and on our doorstep. So we got season tickets.
“In 1970 I was seven, my brother was nine, and with my mum and dad we had four season tickets at Elland Road. Back then there were a lot more Scotsmen in the league. The Gray brothers, Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer and David Harvey. There was a bunch of good Scots in that team so it just happened to be a Scottish-Leeds connection. That was when I started this love of football.
“It was a sustained period of success for Leeds through the late Sixties and Seventies. From the end of the Don Revie era up to the Brian Clough era. I remember going to the 1974 Charity Shield at Wembley during Clough’s 44 days in charge.
“Kevin Keegan and Bremner got sent off and had a bit of a fight, in a charity match! I’ll never forget that, it was my first trip to Wembley with the old Twin Towers. It was a proper day out back then.”
North of the border, the veteran golfer is believed to have a soft spot for Rangers – and in 2020 was linked with a move to buy a controlling stake in the Glasgow giants.
Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas – Leeds United
McIlroy turned down the opportunity to invest in Leeds United, but American duo Spieth and Thomas had no such qualms. Rickie Fowler was also involved negotiations but walked away after Leeds’ relegation to the Championship in 2023.
“It’s done. Myself and Justin (Thomas) with a minority stake. The 49ers beat my Cowboys every year, so if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!” Spieth said at the time.
“I’m excited to have a team I’m emotionally invested in. I’ve watched the Premier League intently for a few years. Hopefully, we’ll be back very soon.”
Two years later, it looks as though he’ll be getting his wish; Daniel Farke’s side have just moved five points clear of Sheffield United with four games left to play.
Shane Lowry – Manchester United
McIlroy isn’t Manchester United’s only famous fan from the world of golf.
Irish golfer Lowry grew up supporting the Red Devils and has often posted about them on social media.
In 2022, he played a round with Harry Maguire – club captain at the time – and Jordan Pickford.
“Great group today in Dubai. Easy money for the Irish,” he joked on Instagram after inevitably coming out on top alongside his doubles partner Brian Moran.
“We’ll get revenge on our home patch,” Maguire quipped back in the comments.
Brooks Koepka – Manchester United
“I had Rory’s tickets in 2014 and went to Old Trafford. It was awesome, had a great time,” the American reminisced a few years back.
“Me and Rory have had quite a few good talks over the last year. We still practise together.
“We’ve talked about a bunch of different things, life just off the golf course, and he’s told me some stuff that’s gone on with him that I really appreciate.
“He’s opened up. So I don’t see why he wouldn’t lend me his tickets again. We’ve always been friends.”
Ian Poulter – Arsenal
Probably golf’s most famous football follower, Poulter is an avid fan of the Gunners.
In 2006, he caused controversy by wearing an Arsenal shirt on the golf course as he competed in the Abu Dhabi Championship.
“I just wanted to spice it up a bit and would be very disappointed if I was fined,” he responded at the time.
“I suppose if everyone turned up in the football shirt of the team they support, all hell would break loose. But it was just a bit of fun and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”
A few months later, he was in attendance as Arsene Wenger’s men lost the Champions League final to Barcelona.
Poulter’s all-time Arsenal XI from back in 2015 makes for an interesting read.
READ: 9 great players you didn’t realise support Arsenal: Maradona, Pogba, Hazard…
Francesco Molinari – Inter Milan & West Ham
The 2018 Open Championships winner broke rank with his family to grow up supporting Inter.
“I grew up supporting Inter when I was a kid,” he told the official Nerazzurri YouTube channel.
“Even though all my family are Juventus fans.”
That includes his older brother, fellow professional golfer Edoardo Molinari. You imagine the Derby d’Italia wasn’t a quiet affair in that household.
Surprisingly enough, he also has a soft spot for West Ham.
“When I moved to London Gianfranco Zola was manager of West Ham and my coach, Denis Pugh, supports them – as do a few other friends of mine in London,” he told ESPN.
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