Dad: Meltdown drove Rory on to be No 1

Proud dad Gerry McIlroy reckons Rory’s Masters meltdown was the key to his rise to becoming the top-ranked golfer in the world.

Now he believes his son can forget all about the world rankings and look forward to battling for more Majors, with Tiger Woods roaring back to form in Palm Beach.

Gerry said: “I have noticed Rory’s maturity over the last year. It’s since the Masters, he learned a lot from that day. Seeing him go to No 1 is a proud moment. In the last year he has put so much work into it. Rory’s just so happy it’s happened and he’s No 1.”