Rory McIlroy has ‘changed people’s perceptions’ of NI around the world

Rory McIlroy has helped to change people’s perceptions of Northern Ireland around the world, a tourism chief has said.

John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism Northern Ireland, said he believed McIlroy’s historic Masters victory would create even more interest in the return of the Open Championship to Portrush later this year.

The Co Down golfer ended an 11-year major drought by beating Justin Rose in a playoff to win the 89th Masters at Augusta and 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.

Golf tourism is a major attraction with visitors to Northern Ireland attracted by the challenge of playing courses such as Royal Portrush and Royal County Down.

More than 250,000 people are expected to flock to the Co Antrim course in July to see the best golfers in the world in action when the Open returns, having previously been staged there in 2019.

Mc McGrillen said McIlroy, as well as other Northern Ireland major winners Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, had been “putting Northern Ireland on the map for a long, long time”.

He added: “But this just reinforces what a talent Rory McIlroy is.

“I think it will bring in even greater interest to the Open for an American audience, for sure.

“It can only be good.

“I also think having got this monkey off his back, his chances of winning the Open are probably greater than they ever were.”

Mr McGrillen added: “The impact it has when Rory McIlroy is doing well or Tiger Woods is doing well and they are in the hunt on the third or fourth day of the tournament, the TV audiences are far higher than if they