Philip Francis was the top-ranked junior golfer on the planet for 65 consecutive weeks and had chasing shadows for much of their teenage years. But there came a point when their careers headed in drastically different directions.
Not even could match Francis' feat of winning four consecutive Junior World Golf Championships, which he managed between 1999 and 2002. The stage was set for the Arizona-born prospect to go on and achieve big things in the sport.
His story continued according to script when he first appeared on the PGA Tour as a teenager in 2007, and made his first cut the following year. Against all odds, that made cut would prove to be the high point of Francis' career.
Cautious about jumping the gun, Francis went to college at UCLA the same year McIlroy turned professional, and it was there that the problems began.
"I started losing some passion for the game in college," Francis told . "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."
Injury issues caused by swing changes also wreaked havoc, with Francis 'unable to bend over past his knees' for nine months. The American went pro in 2011 but only played in six PGA Tour events, missing the cut five times.
And by 2015, Francis gave up the game completely after failing to make it through Q-School. McIlroy singled out the former prodigy, now 35 years old, when asked which players he tipped for the big time during his amateur days.
"I finished second and third to [Francis] all of my teenage years," McIlroy told . "Like, I just could not beat this guy. He went to UCLA. He won the US Junior, I think. He won the US Junior Am. And I thought this kid was unbeatable."
After quitting competitive golf at 27, Francis moved to Chicago to begin a successful career in finance.
"[My old coach] taught me there is a lot more to life than chasing a white ball being hit around a golf course," he explained. "I think because of that I was able to transition into something completely foreign very efficiently and easily."
Reflecting on whether he made the right choice, Francis admitted in 2021: "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."
