Child prodigy to grand slam winner: The making of Masters champion Rory McIlroy

From the home video of a three-year-old practising in his living room to chipping balls into a washing machine on national television aged nine, it was obvious that Rory McIlroy had the talent to make history.

The extent to which he would do so was the only question, a question now answered emphatically by victory in the Masters to complete the career grand slam.

McIlroy is the first European player to have won all four major titles, joining an elite club populated by greats of the sport Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

And the 35-year-old is two more wins away from becoming the most successful European player of the modern era, Sir Nick Faldo having won both the Masters and Open Championship three times.

A post shared by RORY (@rorymcilroy)

Not bad for a curly-haired kid from Holywood in Belfast, whose father Gerry worked extra jobs to help fund his son’s amateur career, a career which first garnered wider attention with an opening 68 – the only bogey-free round of the day – in the 2007 Open at Carnoustie just two months after his 18th birthday.

Back in his home country, of course, they had been well aware of McIlroy’s talent for years.

Aged 16 he shot a course record of 61 at Royal Portrush, the venue for the 2019 Open, and the following year became European amateur champion and reached number one on the world amateur rankings.

McIlroy turned professional after playing in the Walker Cup against an American side that included Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson and in just his second event was third in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

A first European Tour victory arrived in the Dubai Desert Classic in 2009, while his maiden PGA Tour title came in spectacular fashion