RORY McILROY FAMILY FORTUNE
My mum and dad are tee-rific, says Euro tour wonderkid
RORY McILROY has banked £1.5million in just 18 months as a golf pro but insists his mum and dad are the ones worth their weight in gold.
From the moment Rory, aged two, hit a ball 40 yards, Gerry and Rosie McIlroy were convinced their boy would become a golf great and his victory in the Dubai Desert Classic suggests they're right.
It made all those long hours Gerry spent holding down two jobs as a barman and Rosie's shifts in a factory all worthwhile.
Now it seems only a victory parade with his trophy at Old Trafford could cap his joy at gatecrashing the world rankings at No 15 - with the promise of a practice round with Tiger Woods at The Masters to come.
Life is sweet for the youngest player to make the top 50 and then pull off a fantastic victory in the Dubai Desert Classic at the age of 19 years and 273 days.
But Northern Ireland's latest sporting hero is adamant "the best parents in the world should take centre stage."
McIlroy said: "For over 15 years they looked after me and my golf and nearly verything I have achieved I owe to them.
Success
"Mum worked night shifts and dad took on an extra job to fund my junior and amateur golf. So I want to repay them in some way. I'm taking them to the States for a few weeks.
"They'll go to The Masters and some big events and it's great I can do that for them. It's nice for them to travel with me. It's what they worked so hard for. They have supported me and I am going to look after them."
This is the success story of a boy who simply 'grips it and rips it' rather well and who vows never to change. Only 5ft 9in, McIlroy belts an average drive 295.5 yards.
He is destined to become the next best thing after Tiger Woods - with the bonus of Manchester United heading for the Premier League title again. He'd like to combine the two.
Asked if he'd one day like to parade a trophy at Old Trafford, he replied: "Yes, that wouldn't be bad. I've been there quite a lot.
"Although I've not met any of the recent greats I played the Alfred Dunhill with Sir Bobby Charlton in October as my amateur partner. When I won in Dubai one of first voicemail messages was from him, which was brilliant."
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