Kieran Shannon: Rory McIlroy's game first astounded us, his grit has endeared him to us

Rory McIlroy has no rival now as the finest Irish sportsperson ever.

FATHER'S DAY: Masters champion Rory McIlroy celebrates with dad Gerry after going back to back at Augusta National.

He still may not make the winning easy but as for the competing and the contesting, he does. When neither is.

As Rory McIlroy trailed Cameron Young by two shots at one point on Sunday evening in Augusta, you probably didn’t realise that it wasn’t the first time he had blown a lead to a player by that first name in the final round of a major tournament.