Rory McIlroy has made a triumphant return to Northern Ireland following his fairytale Masters triumph last weekend. He was seen carrying his daughter, Poppy, down the stairs of his private jet before being whisked away on Friday morning.
The 35-year-old endured an emotional rollercoaster of a final day at Augusta last Sunday as he went in search of a maiden Masters title. And after missing the chance to win on the 18th hole, McIlroy showed tremendous character to rebound and beat Justin Rose in a play-off to win the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy’s emotional triumph saw him end an agonising 11-year wait for victory at the Masters. In doing so, he becomes just the sixth player in history to win all four of the modern major tournaments in golf, following in the footsteps of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
He was welcomed back to Belfast City airport – which is just a short distance from his hometown of Holywood – on Friday following his gargantuan feat. His wife, Erica Stoll, did not appear to be with him, though, as he departed his private jet with his daughter.
McIlroy raised eyebrows earlier this week when he left his wife out while naming his ‘close-knit’ support system that helped him finally achieve his dream. In an interview with CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis, he mentioned numerous people, including caddie Harry Diamond, but didn’t namecheck Erica.
He said: “I have had an incredible support system the whole way throughout my life as an only child, the support that I had from my parents, they saw some potential in me as a golfer. And they gave me every opportunity to try to fulfill that potential.”
He added: “To have Harry on the bag. I have a, as you call it, a village. But it’s a close-knit village and it’s pretty small, but everyone that’s in there means an incredible deal to me. I think as well, to have Poppy there and to see… you know, I want to make her proud, I want her to be able to experience these things.”
McIlroy has been lauded by figures in the game and beyond since sealing his green jacket. First Minister Michelle O’Neill is among them, and she said that Northern Ireland should have a ‘huge party’ to welcome their hero home.
She said people were “bursting with pride” of McIlroy, before adding: “We all were behind him every step of the way. I think his story is one of such a positive journey that, no matter how many setbacks you have in life, if you work hard and are determined, you can get there in the end.
“I look forward to welcoming Rory home. I hope that we have the biggest reception possible because we are bursting with pride in terms of what he has achieved over the weekend.”
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