Rory McIlroy credits soon to be Hall of Fame inducted golfer for his back to back championships 

One of the best players to step on the golf course in recent years, Rory McIlroy has created many memorable moments during his career, including the four majors he won between 2011 and 2014, considered historic by many fans and pundits around the world. Recently, during an interview, McIlroy revealed the influential inspiration behind his back-to-back championship triumphs.

As per McIlroy, Harrington's success on the course opened the floodgates for other Irish golfers. In a video uploaded on PGA Tour Champions' X handle, McIlroy credited Padraig Harrington and said:

“That run of golf that he went on in 2007 and 2008, winning back-to-back Open Championships and winning the PGA Championship. He really kickstarted this whole Irish golf movement. Fast forward a couple of years and Darren Clarke wins the Open Championship, Shane wins the Open, I’ve won a couple more before that."

He further added:

"Padraig was the one who made us all believe that we could do it that we could follow in his footsteps and win major championships."

Padraig Harrington had a historic run when he won back-to-back championships at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale in 2008. He also won the PGA Championship that year. Due to these legendary performances on the tour, Harrington will be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame this year.

Speaking about Harrington's induction, McIlroy said Harrington was the ultimate pro. McIlroy also claimed that Harrington hit more balls than him in his life and that he would never be able to catch up to the 52-year-old. McIlroy concluded by saying he could think of no one better to be in the Hall of Fame.

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Exploring Rory McIlroy and other golfers' position after Round 3 at the 2024 Memorial Tournament

The 2024 season is turning out to be eventful for Rory McIlroy. This season, McIlroy has made the cut in every tournament he has competed in. While his worst finish was T66 at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, his best finish this year came when he won the Wells Fargo Championship.

Currently, Rory McIlroy is competing at the 2024 Memorial Tournament. After three rounds of golf at the event, McIlroy is tied for 11th place with Sungjae Im and Tony Finau.

Here is a look at the leaderboard after Round 3 at the 2024 Memorial Tournament:

• 1 Scottie Scheffler: -10
• T2 Collin Morikawa: -6
• T2 Sepp Straka: -6
• T2 Adam Hadwin: -6
• T5 Xander Schauffele: -4
• T5 Ludvig Åberg: -4
• T7 Victor Perez: -3
• T7 Sahith Theegala: -3
• T7 Nick Dunlap: -3
• T7 Christiaan Bezuidenhout: -3
• T11 Sungjae Im: -2
• T11 Tony Finau: -2
• T11 Rory McIlroy: -2
• T14 Shane Lowry: -1
• T14 Si Woo Kim: -1
• T14 Tommy Fleetwood: -1
• T14 Viktor Hovland: -1
• T18 Max Homa: E
• T18 J.T. Poston: E
• T18 Seamus Power: E
• T18 Akshay Bhatia: E
• T22 Jason Day: +1
• T22 Brian Harman: +1
• T22 Sam Burns: +1
• T22 Byeong Hun An: +1
• T22 Will Zalatoris: +1
• T22 Matt Fitzpatrick: +1
• T22 Hideki Matsuyama: +1
• T22 Keegan Bradley: +1
• 30 Russell Henley: +2
• T31 Austin Eckroat: +3
• T31 Thomas Detry: +3
• T31 Denny McCarthy: +3
• T31 Peter Malnati: +3
• T31 Eric Cole: +3
• T31 Billy Horschel: +3
• T31 Alex Noren: +3
• T38 Andrew Putnam: +4
• T38 Davis Thompson: +4
• T38 Matt Kuchar: +4
• T38 Nick Taylor: +4
• T38 Corey Conners: +4
• T43 Adam Svensson: +5
• T43 Lee Hodges: +5
• T45 Justin Thomas: +6
• T45 Cam Davis: +6
• T45 Taylor Pendrith: +6
• T48 Tom Hoge: +7
• T48 Tom Kim: +7
• T50 Cameron Young: +8
• T50 Emiliano Grillo: +8
• 52 Jackson Koivun (a): +10