RORY McILJOY!
Irish crowd goes wild as their hero storms to victory
As he stepped on to the sunlit 18th green at the K Club yesterday Rory McIlroy blew out his cheeks and stared towards the heavens. Then he looked at his ball and its close proximity to the pin and great gales of laughter broke from within him.
A week that had seen him handle all the responsibilities that come with being tournament host at the Irish Open had given way to a final day where he had carried the hopes and yearnings of 30,000 spectators.
Only at the death, when they rose to acclaim his marvellous shot to within tap-in eagle range, could McIlroy and his thunderous army relax.
how different it had appeared after 15 holes when it looked as if it would prove all too much. McIlroy’s wedge play had been poor and he had missed countless putts. Impressive scot Russell Knox had birdied two of the hardest holes on the course to tip-toe into a one-stroke lead.
Another title, and one of the most meaningful of all, looked to be slipping away. step forward Rory the Great.
At the 16th, the 27-year- old struck a blow so pure it was a certainty to be named shot of the month. That is until he played one at the final hole 20 minutes later that bettered it.
so good were those shots that they turned a one- stroke deficit into a three- stroke victory. he even had a birdie putt at the 17th that horseshoed viciously out. In short, he had put together three holes that were the sole preserve of the giants of the game.
‘I’m struggling to tell you what it means to win my home title,’ said McIlroy.
‘I don’t get emotional when I win these days but I was struggling to hold the tears back coming down the 18th. The ovation when that shot to the 16th hit the green sent shivers down my spine.’
McIlroy had 270 yards to the flag with the River Liffey menacingly protecting the right of the green. Only a few players all day had taken on the challenge and none close to the lead. McIlroy not only took it on, his three wood finished 35ft from the flag.
Poor Knox, so solid to that point, looked spooked by the waves of noise and promptly three-putted.
McIlroy was not finished. No question of him laying up at the last, even with a one-stroke lead and despite this being another green protected by water.
The five wood never left the flag for a second. Bang on line, it came up just a couple of feet short. Oh my, the noise that erupted.
First prize was worth £500,000 to McIlroy, which will go to the Rory Foundation which helps underprivileged kids, as will the proceeds from all ticket sales.
And so as we head towards the busy run of three majors in three months plus the Olympic tournament, we can forget all about those ‘ What’s wrong with Rory?’ stories that had marked his hitherto winless start to the season. This was the perfect riposte.
‘I’m very excited about what the summer holds,’ said McIlroy. ‘I kept saying I was close but I needed a week like this to act like a catapult.
‘I’m just so thankful that it happened here, of all places.’
every good tale has an engrossing subplot and this one had several. There was Knox, on his first trip to Ireland, finishing in a share of second place with Welsh veteran Bradley Dredge, whose welcome revival from the depths not so long ago continued with a splendid 66.
Best of all there was englishman Matthew southgate.
You might remember Sportsmail documenting his poignant recovery from testicular cancer last year. After missing the second half of the season on the Challenge Tour, the 27-year-old won a card for the main circuit at the qualifying school last November, and was rightly overjoyed.
he took that to another level in this event where he only knew he had made it into the field last Monday. how he made the most of his opportunity, rolling in a
20ft birdie putt at the last to finish fourth and win £160,000.
his worries about his status on tour are over for this year. southgate threw his arms into the air and was in bits by the time he embraced his caddie. Who could blame him?
This, then, was the day that had it all. We’ll be blessed indeed if we see a better one on the european Tour this season.