The human side of greatness and frailties of Holywood native, one Rory Mcllroy, was there for all to witness. A simple three foot putt to open the gates to golfing greatness. He now joins five* other golfers that date back to 1935 to have won the four majors. Only he and his family will truly understand the commitment he has had to endure to finally put on that green jacket.
Raw emotion flooded over the 18th green as he fell to his knees, crouched, humbled and ecstatic and every emotion that can sum up the feelings of a boy who dared to dream. He was now on that plinth of golfing greatness that only so few will in reality ever achieve. In his speeches he recognised his family.
Rory Mcllroy at the K Club 2023, now joins five other golfing greats to have won the Gran Slam.
His parents weren’t there but his daughter and wife were. His home club in Holywood, County Down was brought through the ringer. The highs were incredible, the lows unbelievable but it wasn’t just his home club, there was plenty of support home and abroad. He finally did it, when it must have sat somewhere in the back of his mind, that maybe it would allude to him, like so many other golfing greats.
As Mcllroy takes it all in, in the coming days, we as an island should do too. It may be divided, in still so many ways but Rory Mcllroy brought a greatness of achievement much much more that winning a green jacket. He brought a wee small island together last night and into the early morning Irish time we were all as one.
He dared to dream and the dream became a reality.Â
*Other Grand Slam Winner’s
1935 Gene Sarazen
1953 Ben Hogan
1965 Gary Player
1966 Jack Nicklaus
2000 Tiger Woods
2025 Rory Mcllroy
