SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS
Rory McIlroy's private jet and how it helped him win the 2026 Masters
Rory Mcilroy holds the Masters championship trophy while standing with his parents, Rosie and Gerry, his wife, Erica Stoll, and his daughter, poppy, during the green jacket ceremony after winning the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Rory McIlroy's investment has paid off. The Masters champion flew to Augusta, Georgia, several times in the month prior to the season's first major, each time hopping on his Gulfstream G650ER, which he purchased late in 2024.
McIlroy, who lives in Jupiter, Florida, not only made overnight trips — once about six weeks prior to the Masters to play with his father, Gerry — but said he even would drop off his daughter at school, make a trip to Augusta to practice and return in time to have dinner.
"I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her, or had dinner with (his wife) Erica, probably," McIlroy said after his second round of the Masters last Friday. "I did a couple of day trips that I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio."
McIlroy won his second consecutive Masters, the fourth golfer to do so, by shooting a final-round 71 and finishing one-shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, now has won six major championships.
McIlroy's final event before the Masters was the Players Championship back in mid-March. He then skipped the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, as well as the the Houston Open and Texas Open to concentrate on his Masters preparation.
The costs for Rory McIlroy's Gulfstream G650
The trip from West Palm Beach to Augusta is about 480 miles. The Gulfstream G650 cruises at about 476 mph including takeoff and landing, meaning about an hour trip each way.
The jet, valued from $40 to $60 million, burns about 470 gallons of fuel per hour. With the national average for jet fuel for a Gulfstream G650 around $7.78 per gallon, McIlroy's cost for fuel was about $7,300 for a round trip.
Add on the operating costs and McIlroy's investment just for the Masters was significant.
Considering the prize money for winning the tournament was $4.5 million, McIlroy made a wise investment.
The G650ER, one of Gulfstream Aerospace's most popular jets, holds up to 19 passengers and features 16 panoramic windows and luxury living areas. When flying home, McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, lands at Belfast City Airport, close to his family home in Holywood.
The annual cost for flying a Gulfstream G650 private jet 200 hours per year is approximately $2 million.
McIlroy has made just shy of $114.7 million in prize money during his career, second to Tiger Woods. He earns an estimated $35 million to $55 million annually from off-course sponsorships.
McIlroy is about $6.3 million from overtaking Woods as the PGA Tour's all-time money leader.
