Rapturous welcome for hometown boy Rory

RORY McILROY set his sights on more Major glory as he made an emotional return to the golf club where his journey to sporting stardom began.

The 22-year-old record-breaking US Open winner said it was fantastic to be among old friends again as he arrived at Holywood Golf Club in Co Down with his trophy tucked tightly under his arm.

The champion landed back in the North after what he said had been a whirlwind few days following his triumph at Congressional in Maryland.

Hailing the sacrifices made by his parents, Gerry and Rosie, when he was a young golfer trying to make a name for himself, he promised to do all he could to ensure they would enjoy more Major moments in the future.

“It’s fantastic to be back here to see all my friends, my family,” he said. “I can’t thank my parents enough for what they’ve done for me and winning the US Open is only a tiny little bit of my appreciation for what they’ve done. So, hopefully, there’s more trophies for them in the future and more things for us to share and celebrate.”

The homecoming event in Holywood came a year after similar euphoric scenes in Portrush, 100 kilometres up the road, when McIlroy’s compatriot and close friend, Graeme McDowell, won the same tournament.

“Graeme inspired me and gave me a lot of belief that I could do the same thing,” said the North’s second US Open champion in succession. “If Graeme hadn’t won last year, I don’t know if I would be standing here talking to you as a Major champion.”

After spending two hours inside the clubhouse, where the walls are covered with pictures of his triumphs, McIlroy emerged onto the balcony to a rapturouswelcome from fans waiting below.

He thanked them all for their support over the 15 years he had been a member,even, he joked, when he was a seven-year-old annoying the club professional.

The crowd then broke into a spontaneous verse of Stand Up For The Ulsterman — a take on the popular chant of Ulster Rugby, McIlroy’s favourite team.

At that point the champion’s friends popped the champagne corks and drenched the Major winner in bubbly, leaving just a little for the club’s most famous member to savour.

He then walked outside to pose with the famous trophy on the greens he oncetrod from dawn to dusk as a boy.

McIlroy said he owed the fans one after failing in the last round of the US Masters at Augusta National in April, despite going into the final round with afour stroke lead.

“The support’s been fantastic,” he said.

“Even before this tournament, at Augusta I knew how much everyone wanted me to win that. It felt like this win was not just for myself, it was for everyone who supported me and all I can say is ‘thank you’ to everyone who believed in me after what happened at Augusta.”

McIlroy, who was accompanied to the club by childhood sweetheart Holly Sweeney, accepted that it would be tough to handle the soaring expectations of what he can achieve in the game.

“It’s going to be difficult,” he said. “The first couple of weeks will be a bit of a challenge, but it’s a nice position to be in, to have that pressure, to have that expectation. As long I can stay focused on what I need to do, that is play good golf, andlet everything else take care of itself, then I’ll be okay.”

He also said it was too early in his career to think about long-term goals, such as surpassing the 18 Major haul set by Jack Nicklaus or even Tiger Woods’s 14 titles.

“I’ve got my first one out of the way and now I’m looking for my second and that’s all I can really do,” he said.

“I can’t really put a number on it. I’ve won one very early on in my career but, at the same time, I know how hard these things are to win and, hopefully, I will be able to win more in the future.

“But 18 Majors is an incredible achievement and it would take some veryspecial golf to be able to beat that.”

The young pretender to Woods’s throne — some dub him the Celtic Tiger — said he looked forward to the US star’s return from injury.

“The game of golf is much better with him there,” he said. “It would be great to go down the stretch with him, it would be something that I would really enjoy. I would enjoy the challenge and it’s something that I’ve dreamt about for a long time.”