Rory McIlroy unravels the quiet sacrifices behind his rise to golf stardom

Rory McIlroy secured a career grand slam today. Although his bogey sent The Masters Tournament to a sudden-death playoff, the Northern Irishman scored a birdie. Right after making that shot, McIlroy was emotional as he sat down on the ground.

The Holywood, Ireland native finally achieved the Green Jacket in his 17th attempt at Augusta National. Rory McIlroy was spotted sharing an emotional moment with his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy just off the 18th green. Later on, the golfer took the stage to share his thoughts.

While talking with CBS' Jim Nantz, the five-time major champion revealed a heartfelt message for his parents (as quoted by ASAP Sports).

"There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green. A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it," he said.

"I want to say hello to my mom and dad. They're back home in Northern Ireland," he added.

Rory McIlroy also revealed his plans next week when Nantz reminded him of the sacrifices made by McIlroy's parents.

"They did. And I can't wait to see them next week. I just can't wait to celebrate this with them," he replied.

His interest in golf grew due to his father Gerry, who was a golfer himself. McIlroy used to play with plastic clubs and at the age of three, he gained attention after hitting a 37-yard drive. From there, McIlroy's interest in the sport started to grow rapidly, as he focused on building a career in the sport.

Rory McIlroy's parents sacrificed a lot to support his budding golf career. Gerry used to work around 100 hours a week. He was a janitor at a local sports club in the morning and was a bartender at Holywood Golf Club till 6 pm. From evening to late night hours, McIlroy's father used to go back to the sports club to work in the bar.

McIlroy's mother Rosie was a worker at a 3M warehouse in Bangor. She used to look after him during the day and had to take up the graveyard shift. While he grew up, McIlroy's parents often stayed without meeting each other at times.

Hanna Golf's owner, Jared Doerfler shared a post on X about Rory McIlroy's parent's sacrifices over the years.

"Rory’s dad worked 100 hours a week. His mom worked night shift in a factory. All to support him chasing his dream. I find this stuff inspiring. Behind success is great sacrifice. Sometimes it doesn’t pan out - sometimes it does. But you’ll never find out if you don’t try," he Tweeted.

Rory McIlroy had to wait 14 years to achieve this historical moment in his career.

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Rory McIlroy gets lauded by Tiger Woods for joining the career grand slam club

Rory McIlroy holds the Masters championship trophy while posing with his wife, Erica Stoll, and daughter, Poppy, at the green jacket ceremony during the final round of the Masters Tournament - Source: Imagn

The Northern Irishman was under pressure in the final round, when he somehow lost the four-shot lead. Sunday was indeed a tough ride for McIlroy due to all the near-misses and unexpected double bogeys.

Tiger Woods, who achieved the career grand slam back in 2000 is well aware of the nail-biting moments that McIlroy had to go through. Woods shared a tweet, lauding the TGL co-owner for the win:

"Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory. Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!"

Rory McIlroy earned this moment with years of dedication to the sport and often struggled with failure. Despite blowing off the lead, finding the bunker, and missing sure-shot eagles, his victory on Sunday was a dream come true.