Rory McIlroy eagled the final hole to cap his breakthrough first victory of the season Sunday at the Irish Open. And he didn’t keep one cent of his winner’s check.
Third-ranked McIlroy long has made winning the Irish Open an elusive priority, his past failures all the more awkward because he’s also the tournament’s official host and donates his prize money to his Rory Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping the lives of sick and disadvantaged kids.
That means he’s passing along a check for 666,000 euros, or $750,000. McIlroy estimated the total donation will top a million euros, factoring in the proceeds from ticket sales in Straffan, Ireland.
“It means an awful lot. To walk down 18 and look up to the right and see all my friends and family and everyone else that’s here supporting me this week … I don’t usually get emotional winning tournaments. I mean, I’m obviously over the moon and very happy,” McIlroy said. “This tournament to me is one of the most important of my year — not just because it’s the Irish Open and it’s home, but because of what we’re doing charitable-wise as well, the kids we’ve helped out this week and the money we’ve raised will go a long way toward making their lives a little bit better.”
The Northern Ireland native McIlroy sealed a three-shot triumph over Scotland’s Russell Knox and Bradley Dredge of Wales with a majestic approach shot on the final hole. His 253-meter (276-yard) second strike on the 18th landed within three feet of the pin to the deafening cheers of tens of thousands who had braved downpours and hail showers to witness the moment.
McIlroy grinned and brushed away a tear or two as he approached the green. When McIlroy calmly converted his only eagle of the tournament, he stood still and silent for a second. Then he pumped both fists in elation.
“To finish like that today, I’ll never forget it,” McIlroy said after receiving the crystal winner’s trophy beside Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.
McIlroy at times looked in danger of squandering his three-stroke lead at the start of Sunday’s final round. When Knox birdied the 14th and 15th holes to seize a one-shot lead, McIlroy responded with arguably his greatest shot of the year — a go-for-broke drive across the River Liffey that landed improbably in the heart of the 16th green.
“I was taking a risk. … It was a huge turning point,” said McIlroy, who added it was hard for him to keep his focus “when there’s 30,000 people roaring you on. The ovation I got when that ball landed on the 16th green sent shivers down my spine.”
Knox agreed it was a pivotal moment, and praised McIlroy’s final three holes.
“The shots that Rory hit in the end, he deserves to win. … Rory hits it further than anyone,” said Knox, who is ranked 28th. “That shot that Rory hit on 18 was a joke. What a way for him to finish.”
It was McIlroy’s first triumph since last November’s DP World Tour championship in Dubai. McIlroy now faces three majors in the next 10 weeks — and describes his Irish breakthrough as a needed psychological “catapult” to reclaim his best form.
“I felt I needed a week like this to kick-start something. No better place than back here at home in Ireland,” he said.
“I kept telling myself, kept telling anyone that would listen, my game was close. It was just a matter of everything clicking,” McIlroy added. “I really feel like my game is in good enough shape to kick on from here and to challenge in the three final majors, and obviously everything else we have to play for this year, Olympics, Ryder Cup, Race to Dubai, FedEx Cup.”
With AP and Reuters