The National's Sport cover for the Tuesday, January 13 issue, featuring John McAuley's extensive delve into the background behind Rory McIlroy and his rise to the undisuputed best golfer in the world.
McAuley goes to Holywood, McIlroy's hometown, talks to friends and family and visits his boyhood club as he traces the steps that took a young Northern Irish boy the pinnacle of the sport.
“While McIlroy’s allure is enduring, even as he strikes off another major or milestone, he does not show it,” writes McAuley.
“Ask anyone and the response rings familiar: despite the majors and the world ranking, it is the exact same Rory, feet planted firmly on the ground while his game goes stratospheric.”
“That’s the reason he’s so well-liked,” Ricky McCormick, the assitant pro at Holywood and a good friend of McIlroy’s, says. “He’s very honest, very level-headed and us – his friends and family – we keep him quite grounded. Nothing’s changed.”
McIlroy will begin his season on Thursday here for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
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