Maurice Brosnan: The contradictions and the conviction of Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy's brilliant and self-doubt, his calmness and volatility, can seem contradictory but that complexity is what makes his so fascinating

POPPY PLAY: Rory McIlroy with his daughter Poppy after the Green Jacket Ceremony at the Masters at Augusta National. Pic: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

One of the paradoxes at the heart of Rory McIlroy’s story is how a kid who dropped out of school before 16, whose parents worked multiple jobs and 90-hour weeks to support him, is now talking about how he brings his daughter to class before taking a private plane to Augusta and returning home for dinner.

The McIlroy origin story is well-told by now, but the scale of his ascent is no less remarkable. There was a time when his father, Gerry, was so short of change that he couldn’t afford a full bucket of balls at the range. Eleven years later, his son bought them a five-bedroom home, complete with a gym, driving range and putting green.