A few months ago, only avid golfers were familiar with the name Rory McIlroy. Today, the US Open Championship winner and golfers hottest Irish has been in the spotlight since winning his first championship and recording a record- setting win. The 22 year old posted a victory for both himself and the Congressional Country Club course, providing the lowest winning score in Championship history (at 268).
But this story isn’t about McIlroy and his recent reason for fame – it’s about his backyard. As the Northern Irishman finds himself compared to Tiger Woods, the young star plans to prepare every minute for his next tournament, which begins in just a few shorts days. While professional golfers are typically on the course 24/7, McIlroy made it a little easier on himself and the team when he purchased enough land in Ireland to house his very own. We’re not talking about a few putting greens either, we’re talking about bunkers that replicate some of the world’s most difficult holes – including St. Andrews’ “Road Hole” where he showed BBC in a recent news segment just how the chip should be done.
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McIlroy is one of the few golfers in the world to have a full time manicure staff that touches up on the greens, building and growing each specific hole to simulate each course he’s set to tackle next. During the BBC tour, McIlroy’s greens were cut sloppy and thick to emulate the type of grass he’s expecting to see in the July Open Championship. Not only do the holes capture the rhythm and speed of Sandwich, but are even more literal – McIlroy flew in some local championship sand to really get the feel for the course.
As if capturing a win as an underdog wasn’t tough enough, with the news that McIlroy has his own championship golf course in his backyard, pressure is set to increase come time for The Open Championship. We’ll see how he performs in seven days and counting, at Royal St. George’s this year.
