One player Rory McIlroy considered ‘unbeatable’ never even made it as a professional golfer. Philip Francis had the number of the defending Masters champion in the junior and amateur ranks, doing things that even Tiger Woods never managed.Francis had an incredible junior career but quit golf in 2015GettyBetween 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.Who was Philip Francis, the player Rory McIlroy once called unbeatable?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.He told A Life in Golf back in 2021: “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.“(My old coach) taught me there is a lot more to life than chasing a white ball being hit around a golf course,” he said of his career change.Francis swapped the golf course for Bitcoin but left McIlroy stunned as a juniorGetty“I think because of that I was able to transition into something completely foreign very efficiently and easily.”Francis added, though, that his golf dream isn’t necessarily done. “I would love to potentially play some higher level of amateur golf again,” he admitted.“I miss the competitive nature of being in the heat of the moment.”Rory McIlroy offered high praise for junior champion who never made it proMcIlroy, who is leading the 2026 Masters as he chases back-to-back green jackets, once revealed he would certainly welcome that challenge.When asked to name a player who fell by the wayside in a 2024 interview, the Northern Irishman told Normal Sport: “Philip Francis.Francis’ name came up in a 2024 interview with Masters champion McIlroyGetty“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. 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.”Francis, clearly, left an impression on a young McIlroy. But all these years later, it’s Northern Ireland’s star who has the eyes of the golfing world on him as he chases another Masters crown in 2026. Stay up to date with the latest from golf across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.