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destined to be world number one. Golf was more or less in his genes and both his father and uncle were scratch players. The McIlroy family photo album testifies to his fascination for the sport. One picture shows him holding a blue plastic golf club as a two year old and he admits that by the age of seven he was at the Holywood Golf Club, where he was the youngest member and which remains his home course, for up to 12 hours a day. A few years later he tasted international success for the first time by wining the 9-10 year-old championship at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami. By 15 he was part of Europe’s winning Junior Ryder Cup team, and, in 2005, he became the youngest winner of both the west of Ireland and the Irish Close Championships, titles he retained the following year. In August 2006 he won the European Amateur title in Italy, setting himself up for a shot at the following year’s Open Championship at Carnoustie where he shot five over and took the Silver medal as the best placed amateur. PRECOCIOUS TALENT In interviews he is quick to pay tribute to his parents for the role they played in making his career possible. Both, he recalls, held down two or three jobs at a time to pay the bills and allow him to develop a precocious talent which has seen him rocket to the world number one slot. While his parents provided the foundation for his career, Tiger Woods, now a great friend, was a hero and an inspiration. In fact, Woods remains a point of reference. “Your success only makes you more motivated to do better. I have become a very good player, but I still have a lot of years to progress and I just want to keep improving and hopefully one day I will be able to compete with Tiger,” he said after one win. Golf writer Richard Gillis has followed McIlroy’s career and its impact on the commercial world. “Back home in Northern Ireland, they’ve been making television programmes about Rory McIlroy since he was a schoolboy, when he won the World Junior Championship aged nine years old,” he said. “His swing is a thing of beauty at a time when sport science is threatening to homogenise the game. The McIlroy action balances flawless technique with a natural rhythm some have compared to legendary American player Sam Snead, there is no higher compliment. People line up behind him on the driving range, just to get a glimpse. “Rory is not famous for winning the US Open. He’s famous for losing The Masters, THEN winning the US Open. It sounds like a little thing, but it’s the difference between a statistic and a story. Up and down, up and down: the ad men love a narrative, it’s their favourite new word. And he didn’t just lose the Masters in 2011, he was exposed in the most painful, naked way. Golf does that to people. It’s why the Majors matter: they keep multimillionaires up at night. “McIlroy’s commercial value is obviously on the rise. He is personable, talented and benefits from golf ’s broad geographical footprint, making him saleable from Beijing to Baltimore. His recent deal with the Spanish owned bank Santander is a watershed moment: most golfers are used to sell clubs, shoes and apparel. Only a small elite are trusted to be the face of a bank. “But there’s a conundrum at the heart of Brand Rory. We warm to him because he’s talented and normal, a key asset in the post-Tiger Woods era. His values as a person seem to be those we share ourselves. In short, we like him. The problem is that famous people, even the nice ones, are not normal. It’s just not possible to earn tens of millions of pounds, be known around the world and live like the rest of us. We, the general public won’t let him.” IN THE SPOTLIGHT Indeed, the public and the media continue to make demands on McIlroy and his response has shone some light on his human side. Even in the wake of his second PGA triumph he was dragged into a controversy when it was reported that he would opt to represent Great Britain rather 16 | Issue 19 | Qatar Sport
SUPERSTAR PROFILE “McIlroy’s commercial value is obviously on the rise. He is personable, talented and benefits from golf ’s broad geographical footprint, making him saleable from Beijing to Baltimore.” than Ireland when golf makes its debut in the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. Irish sport is a complex arena, partly because on the island of Ireland, sport cuts across national borders and political divides. He turned to Twitter to deliver not simply an explanation but an insight into some of the things that make him tick. “I am a proud product of Irish golf and the Golfing Union of Ireland and am hugely honoured to have come from very rich Irish sporting roots. I am also a proud Ulsterman, which is part of the United Kingdom. Those are my roots and always will be. “I receive huge support from both Irish and British sports fans alike and that is greatly appreciated. Likewise I feel a great affinity with American sports fans. As an international sportsman I am very lucky to be supported by people all over the world, many of whom treat me as one of their own. That is the way it should be.” At only 23 McIlroy is under tremendous scrutiny whatever he does. Along with former #1 women’s tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, he has created world sport’s golden couple du jour and mass media attention is never far away. It’s a burden which all global superstars have to bear and it may be that McIlroy has let his inexperience show and his guard slip on at least one occasion. Former pro Jay Townsend, now a media pundit, felt his wrath after criticising his course management in the early round of a tournament only be told, on Twitter, to ‘shut up.’ “You are a failed golfer. Your opinion means nothing,” McIlroy responded. FOLLOW THE LEADER For a young man under constant pressure to perform and constantly in the harsh spotlight of the world’s media the reaction was as understandable as his occasional shows of frustration on the course. He is, above all else, a winner but his steeliness mixes with a charm which, say the experts, will continue to make him a magnet for sponsors. In an interview earlier this year, Kevin Adler, President of Engage Sports Marketing of the USA said that McIlroy was on course to emulate Woods’ $1 billion endorsement earnings. “The golf and sports marketing communities are hungering for that next golf superstar and want to anoint someone right away,” he said. “Rory is humble and cracks an easy smile without being such a robo-golfer about it all. With a few more big wins, Rory can easily start monetizing his image in huge way by doing more US tournaments. He’s the image sponsors want for the young end of the luxury market,” said Adler. “He’s the leader of the young guns influencing the game today.” Sponsors, fans and media alike reckon there’s much, much more to come from Rory McIlroy and he continues to set himself tough personal targets. “I know I have to keep working hard. If I could improve every aspect of my game by one per cent every year I would be very, very happy,” he said. He would be happy. The rest of the Tour might not be rejoicing. Qatar Sport | Issue 19 | 17
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 19 OCTOBER 2012 $10 DOHA GOAL
Page 3 and 4: INSIDE 5 In Focus Sporting life thr
Page 5 and 6: 1 THE SPORTING WORLD THROUGH THE LE
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Page 10 and 11: UPDATE Richard Attias and Carl Lewi
Page 12: UPDATE INBRIEF TREnTIno TARgETs
Page 15: SUPERSTAR PROFILE THE MAJOR MAN As
Page 19 and 20: COMING UP 5-14/12 PSA World Squash
Page 21 and 22: MY LONDON 2012 “I believe that th
Page 24 and 25: FIT FOR LIFE HITTING THE TARGET The
Page 26 and 27: Leaders: Incisive opinion and livel
Page 29 and 30: QATAR STARS LEAGUE LOOK TO THE STAR
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Page 33 and 34: Championships, Qatar 2016 Olympic B
Page 35 and 36: Winning margins at FIFA World Cup a

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