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It’s hard to blame professional athletes for wanting to splurge on a big purchase after their first paycheck hits their bank account. Rory McIlroy did exactly that after making his PGA Tour debut, but he wouldn’t purchase the gaudy watch he decided to treat himself to now that he’s older and wiser.
Virtually everyone who possesses the kind of talent you need to play a sport for a living dreams of the day they can officially refer to themselves as a “pro athlete,” and reaching that point is a monumental achievement that serves as the culmination of the countless hours of work you need to put in to get there.
Attaining that status usually means receiving a fairly sizeable paycheck that dwarfs any other you’ve received up to that point, and while there are plenty of cautionary tales concerning athletes who went broke due to their inability to manage their finances, most people are going to have trouble resisting the urge to go on a celebratory spending spree.
That’s the route Rory McIlroy went toward the start of his professional career, but he’d do things differently if he had a redo.
Rory McIlroy has some regrets about the iced-out watch he bought after landing a sizeable payday for the first time
McIlroy became the youngest person to earn their European Tour card when he secured it at the age of 18 after turning pro in 2007, and he racked up close to $375,000 in earnings during his first year on that circuit.
That’s a drop in the bucket compared to what he’s made since joining the PGA Tour in 2010, as he’s taken home a little more than $100 million in tournament earnings alone over the past 15 years—a number that will likely increase by at least a few million by the time the FedEx Cup Playoffs wrap up.
McIlroy got the chance to reflect on his early days as a pro while gearing up for the BMW Championship when a reporter asked him if he remembered what he bought with his first PGA Tour paycheck.
What did @McIlroyRory spend his first TOUR paycheck on?
“It was like the worst purchase ever.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/WCO6IZl2vL
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2025
He affirmed he recalled the purchase all too well, saying, “A watch. With diamonds around it, it was horrific. I can’t believe—it was, like, the worst purchase ever. It was so bad.” He also said he knew exactly what kind of watch it was while clarifying it was not an Omega (the brand he’s had an endorsement deal with since 2013), adding, “It’s not the make and model that I’m sponsored by now, so I’m not going to say it.”
I spent more time than I care to admit staring at McIlroy’s wrist while combing through pictures to see if I could find the watch in question without any success.
He was partial to Breitling after making his debut on the European Tour, but the most likely culprit seems to be a timepiece from Audemars Piguet, the brand he was signed with before defecting to Omega; he rocked some fairly subdued Royal Oak models at tournaments in 2010, but the company also makes some diamond-covered watches that fit the bill.
McIlroy’s winnings have allowed him to amass a sizeable collection, and this video chronicles some of the highlights.
Must be nice.