Rory McIlroy: The Making of the Masters Champion
- therookiereporters
- Jun 24
- 9 min read
In golf, there have been many incredible victories. Exhilarating moments where a player becomes a champion, and their life changes forever. In recent years, there have been fewer moments more emotional than Rory McIlroy finally securing victory at Augusta and achieving the career grand slam after a ‘major drought’ spanning over 10 years. On the 13th of April 2025, Rory McIlroy solidified himself as one of the greats, becoming only the 6th golfer in history to achieve the legendary career grand slam, joining the likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, and writing his name in the history books.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
On 4 May 1989, in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, Rory Daniel McIlroy was born. Only child to parents Gerry McIlroy and Rosie McDonald, young Rory attended St Patrick’s Primary School, where a photo from his First Holy Communion is now proudly displayed on the wall, as he serves as inspiration for the pupils of the school. From there, he moved on to Sullivan Upper School, whose motto ‘Lamh Foisdineach An Uachtar’ – ‘with the gentle hand foremost’ – would greatly reflect the man that McIlroy would turn into.
Rory was introduced to golf by his father, Gerry, a scratch golfer whose guidance and coaching would prove essential in turning Rory into the exceptional player we now know. Gerry himself worked relentless 12+ hour days, in part at a sports club but also as a bartender at Hollywood Golf Club, where he would soon be encouraged to bring his son along to after work. As a result, Gerry would often be seen on the course playing a round with Rory in his pram. It’s fair to say that Rory was exposed to golf at an early age, so much so that, even as a young tot, he could be seen crawling around on the tee. At age 2, Rory was given his first set of golf clubs – a humble plastic set which he eventually broke from the force of his swings, so he later upgraded to a modified club which he used to hit a 40-yard drive. In a video posted on his YouTube channel with the caption ‘I had to start somewhere’, a 3-year-old Rory practices in his living room, with the TV in the background and his dad coaching him on his swing, he chips the ball onto the couch and putts it across the carpet.
Later, Rory would be gifted a club by his father, who would teach him the proper grip. Rory would take the club to bed and sleep beside it at night. Young Rory would also beg his dad to take him to Hollywood Golf Course where he became the youngest member at the age of 7. Even now, McIlroy considers Hollywood to be his home course.
Just as the media and hosts of golfing fans saw Rory as a once-in-a-lifetime talent, so too, those around Rory also considered him pretty exceptional. Michael Bannon, Rory’s current coach who trained him in the early days and is a former golf coach at Hollywood Golf Club, said that Rory, “has a great head on his shoulders, yes. A great parental influence there from Gerry and Rosie and he has a great future ahead of him, I think. Not only in golf but in life as well.”
Rory has long acknowledged the sacrifices that his parents made for him in the early days of his career, with Gerry working long days at Hollywood Golf Club to Rosie working the night shift, all of it was for Rory as the family’s money went into funding his amateur tournament fees. Gerry clearly saw Rory’s potential as he is quoted as saying, “I am a working-class man and that’s all I knew – to get the money we needed for Rory to be able to learn and compete at golf.” Furthermore, Rory himself says that he will, “never be able to repay Mum and Dad for what they did, but at least they know they’ll never have to work another day. I’ll do whatever it takes to look after them.”
And their efforts would prove not to be in vain, as at age 9, Rory hit his first hole in one before claiming his first international victory in the World Championship at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa. With this victory, Rory had captured the attention of the golfing world at a young age and would soon go onto capture the hearts of the nation as he appeared on UTVs Kelly Show where he could be seen showing off his rapidly improving golf skills as by bouncing a golf ball on a club, a move which the host failed to replicate, earning young Rory cheers from the crowd. He followed this by chipping a golf ball into a washing machine, just as he did in his own home, except this time, instead of it being in the stretch between the hallway and his mum’s washing machine, it was in a television studio surrounded by an audience who looked on in awe at the young talent in front of them.
When Rory was asked about his aspirations and what he wanted to be, Rory responded with, “to turn a pro and to win all the majors.” This notion is shared by many young sporting talents, the desire to be the best in the world and to achieve great feats such as winning the equivalent of a ‘career grand slam,’ however, it is one which so few manage to achieve. In the same interview, in response to his wish to win all the majors, the interviewer asked if he would like to win all 4 majors in the same year, a feat which has only been achieved once before, by Bobby Jones in 1930, Rory responded simply with “yeah”.
GOING PRO
As a teenager, Rory displayed exceptional talent as an amateur golfer, and after winning the silver medal at Carnoustie, he topped the Amateur World Rankings for the very first time. His last tournament as an amateur was at the Walker Cup in his hometown of Royal County Down before he made the decision to go pro, just a day before the Quinn Direct British Masters, where he finished in 42nd place. At just 18 years old, McIlroy had made the crucial decision to become a professional and in the same year, he earned enough prize money to allow him to secure his 2008 European Tour Card, making him the youngest player to ever do so. He also became the quickest golfer to achieve this, earning his tour card in only 2 events.
Rory’s professional career started off strong and continued as, in the next few years, he would secure a number of victories and achieve incredible feats including marking his first European Tour win with the Dubai Desert Classic, shooting a 63 at the Open, the lowest ever first round score in the history of the championship, in 2010 and making his Ryder Cup debut in the same year. The golfing world was aflame as Rory smashed records, delivered stunning performances and defied all odds. Rory was quickly making a name for himself in the sport, and this exceptional performance would continue as he would soon secure his first major.
THE ROAD TO GREATNESS
The next few years would showcase a legendary display of dominance from McIlroy, starting in 2011. At just 22 years old, he would secure his first major at the US Open, breaking multiple records in the process. The following year in August, he would go on to win the PGA Championship, once again breaking the record for the youngest multiple major champion since the esteemed Seve Ballesteros. In September, he earned 3 points for Europe, leading them to victory over the USA in the Ryder Cup. 2014 would see him achieve the ‘hat-trick’ as he was victorious at The Open, a tournament which was special for him, for a number of reasons. It saw him achieve the ‘hat trick’, as a European himself he considered Hoylake his ‘home major’ and also due to a special someone in the audience – his mum, whom he dedicated his win to, saying, “This is the first major my mum has been to that I’ve won, so mum, this one’s for you.” Additionally, in 2014, McIlroy would win the US PGA championship, with victory at Valhalla becoming his 4th major win.
Despite the next few years being filled with incredible successes, including him taking home his third Race to Dubai Trophy, reclaiming his place as world number 1 multiple times and earning his home Open win at the K-Club, the one win which really mattered seemed to slip through his fingers time and time again. Having won 3 of the 4 majors, Rory had only one thing, one victory separating him from the career grand slam – The Masters. Since his last majors win, he entered the Masters 11 times, but each year, he came away defeated. His highest finish was 2nd place in 2022, losing by three strokes to Scottie Scheffler. Every year, McIlroy’s chance of achieving the career grand slam seemed to get further and further away, as many questioned his ability to ever get there, citing years’ worth of close calls and near-misses. Critics also stated that he didn’t have the mental strength to see him through a winning round at the tournament, believing him prone to cracking under pressure. Yet, despite all of this, McIlroy still showed up to the course in 2025 to play, unaware that this year’s tournament would be different.
THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
The Masters, 2025
Throughout the game, there were moments of doubt, times when it seemed that, once again, victory would just slip through his fingers. But on the 13th of April 2025, after putting a birdie in a one-hole playoff with Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy finally won the Masters. Throwing away his golf club, Rory, overcome with emotion, fell to the floor, head in his hands – taking it all in. He rose to the crowd chanting his name as he embraced his caddy, Harry Diamond, before throwing away his hat as he punched the air. The relief on his face was evident as he stood up, teary-eyed and grinning from ear to ear. He made his way through the crowd, offering handshakes and hugs before remarking with a smile, “I’ve gotta go get a green jacket.”
The coveted jacket in question, an outward indicator of a Masters’ winner, becoming a symbol of hope and a sign of a new beginning as McIlroy secured his place amongst the champions, shaking off the weight of 16 previous attempts at achieving this very task but, ultimately, proving it really was worth the wait. Rory’s victory undoubtedly left an impression, from his stunning game, to his first walk into the champion's dressing room, it is hard not to feel moved by the sheer determination, grit, and perseverance that kept him coming back to Augusta National year after year.
BEHIND IT ALL
Rory McIlroy is a prime example of hard work meeting passion. No stranger to breaking records and defying expectations, his accolades alone ensure that he will always be remembered yet, it is his heart that endears golfing fans across the globe to him. McIlroy undoubtedly has an incredible talent and has more than earned himself bragging rights for years to come yet, despite it all, he stays humble, never failing to thank those who stood beside him through the good and the bad and never being too proud to show his emotions. His speech at the Masters saw him tearfully thanking everyone from the staff and volunteers, to the patrons of Augusta National, to his family, whom he called his ‘team’ and giving a heartwarming life lesson to his daughter, Poppy – “never give up on your dreams. Never, ever, give up on your dreams.” Just like the school motto deeply ingrained in his primary education – ‘Lamh Foisdineach An Uachtar’ - Rory leads with a gentle hand foremost, never letting the years of disappointments and crushing defeats harden his heart and not allowing his many triumphs to get to his head. As he addressed the crowd, you can still see the spirit of the young boy from County Down, Northern Ireland who said that his dream was “to turn a pro and to win all the majors.”
Rory, who was speaking on his win, said that he wondered if it would ever be his time, had finally fulfilled his childhood dream and achieved the career grand slam; a feat only accomplished by 5 other players, and only the second this century alongside his golfing idol,
Tiger Woods. His win transcended everyone present at Augusta that day and reached out to the believers, and those who never once doubted him – to everyone who dared to dream. His victory will forever remain iconic and serve as a powerful reminder that it is never too late and that, in life, good things really do come to those who wait. A statement that you are never past your prime. McIlroy finally had his masterpiece, and what a masterpiece it was.
Article Written by Gemma Hickey
