One player Rory McIlroy considered ‘unbeatable’ never even made it as a professional golfer.

Philip Francis had McIlroy’s number in the junior and amateur ranks, doing things that Tiger Woods never even managed.

Francis had an incredible junior career but quit golf in 2015Credit: Getty

Between 1999 and 2002, Francis won four consecutive Junior Golf Championships, establishing himself as the sport’s most exciting and promising kid.

By 2008, he was already making the cut in PGA Tour events – but incredibly, that was about as good as it got.

Instead of turning pro immediately, Francis went to college, studying on a scholarship at UCLA and taking the conventional route into a serious golf career.

That was when everything changed.

Francis told A Life in Golf: “I started losing some passion for the game in college.

“I started to become very technical with my golf swing and that led me down a dark path of not enjoying the same game I grew up loving.”

Francis did ultimately turn pro in 2011, but a combination of injuries and poor form meant he missed the cut five times in six PGA Tour appearances.

In 2015, the American decided that he would quit golf altogether if he didn’t make it through Q-School – and he missed out on a Tour card by one shot.

After hanging up his clubs at the age of 27, the former golfer moved to Chicago and started working in Bitcoin.

Francis added: “[My old coach] taught me there is a lot more to life than chasing a white ball being hit around a golf course.

Francis’ name came up in a recent McIlroy interviewCredit: Getty

“I think because of that I was able to transition into something completely foreign very efficiently and easily.”

Although, Francis added: “I would love to potentially play some higher level of amateur golf again.

“I miss the competitive nature of being in the heat of the moment.”

World no.3 McIlroy would certainly welcome that challenge.

When asked to name a player who fell by the wayside in a recent interview, McIlroy told Normal Sport: “Philip Francis.

“He was from Scottsdale, Arizona. I finished second and third to him all of my teenage years. Like, you just could not beat this guy.

“He went to UCLA [University of California Los Angeles]. He won the U.S. Junior, I think. He won the U.S. Junior Am. And I thought this kid was unbeatable. That’s probably the biggest one, I think.”

On the other hand, it took McIlroy a while to see the talents of three-time major winner Jordan Spieth.

The two golfing superstars first came face-to-face at the 2013 Valero Texas Open, when McIlroy was a two-time major winner and Spieth was a highly-rated 19-year-old rookie.

By 2015, Spieth would also have two majors and rise to world no.1, challenging McIlroy for the crowd vacated by an injury-ravaged Woods.

However, on that first meeting, McIlroy did not consider Spieth to be a future star.

McIlroy and Spieth have been competing against each other for 11 yearsCredit: Getty

The Northern Irishman played alongside the Texan in San Antonio and watched as Spieth shot 72-76 and missed the cut.

“I remember the first time, I think I told you this, the first time I played with Jordan Spieth, 2013 San Antonio,” current world no.3 McIlroy told Normal Sport.

“And I played the first two days with him, and he missed the cut. And I’m like, ‘What is the big deal with this kid? Very average.’

“And he comes on and nearly wins the Grand Slam two years later.”

Like McIlroy, Spieth is one major away from completing the career Grand Slam, but success at golf’s most prestigious event has deserted him for years.

After a number of poor seasons, Spieth recently underwent surgery on a wrist injury.