Rory McIlroy « World golfing news

On Wednesday 18th June 2014 Rory declared his intention to Represent Ireland when Golf is reintroduced to the Olympic Games in 2016, this has finally put to rest many a heated argument in Ireland.

As things happened Rory didn’t represent Ireland in the 2016 Olympic Games due to the Zika virus he like many of the worlds’ top golfers felt it was safer to stay away, many have regretted it since. Ireland was represented by Padraig Harrington and Seamus Power and finished 21^st after looking like winning a medal in the early stages.

Our boy-wonder from Holywood Co. Down is starting to re-write the history of professional golf with his 3rd Major win at Hoylake Royal Liverpool on Sunday 20th July 2014, when he became the 1st European player to have won three of the four Majors and we all know he knows how to make his way around Augusta as proving it in 2011 when he took a 4-shot lead into the final round.
He has made an illustrious trio of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and himself as the only three to have won 3/4-Majors by the age of 25.
He then followed his win in the Open Championship with the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational by 2-shots over Sergio Garcia and to top it all he lifted the US-PGA Championship at Valhalla on a rain-soaked Sunday with a 1-shot victory over Phil Mickelson.

I for one look forward to following this young mans progress in the future.

I always wonder when I see an exceptional sports man or woman excel in their given sports ?where did they come from?"

In the case of Rory the writing was on the wall as far back 1998 when at the tender age of 9-years he won the Doral Junior Publix Teens Championship in Florida followed by the Moyola Celebrity Classic and finished 3^rd in the Junior World Championships the same year, he was awarded the Belfast Telegraph’s Junior Golfer of the Year. The following year he again finished 3^rd in the Junior World Championships and the Pepsi Little Peoples Golf Championship.

Playing his golf out of Holywood Golf Club he went on to capture most championships from the Ulster Boys Under-15 in 2002 to playing Walker Cup at Royal Co. Down in September 2007.

I first saw Rory win the West-of-Ireland at Rosses in 2005 when he beat David Finn of Mallow Golf Club by 2 and 1. I have been saying ever-since “Watch Rory McIlroy he’s our answer to Tiger Woods” little did I know then that he and the Tiger would be sparing with each other as to who is World No. 1.

Rory has gone on to win four Majors, The US Open Championship at the Congressional Country Club in 2011 and the US-PGA at The Ocean Club, Kiawah Island in 2012, with a record winning margin of 13 under par 8-shots ahead of his nearest rival David Lynn. He folowed that with the Open Championship at Hoylake, Royal Liverpool Golf Club on 20th July 2014 with a 17-under to win by 2-shots from Sergio Garcia and then won the US-PGA at Valhalla Golf Club, Kentucky on 10th August on 16-under, with a 1-stroke win over Phil Mickelson. 

We can only wait and see how many Majors this young man wins in this “Golden Age of Irish Golf” one must remember we have to go back to 1947 when the Legendry Fred Daly won the Open Championship at Hoylake with a score of 293. Since 2007 we have had Padraig Harrington win the Open Championship at Carnoustie in a pulsating play-off against Sergio Garcia followed by retaining it in 2008 and adding the US-PGA at Oakland Hills Country club in August. Then we had Graeme McDowell winning the US-Open at Pebble Beach in 2010, followed by Darren Clarke winning the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in 2011. Long may this “Golden Age” last as we haven’t seen the end of Rory, Padraig or Graeme’s hunt for glory on the world-stage-of-golf.

Tony Deegan