The only son of Rosie and Gerry, Rory McIlroy has always had an uber-strong support system behind him.
The couple, who respectively hail from Co Armagh and Co Down, have been unwavering in their fostering of a grá for golf in their beloved son and have always turned out on the sidelines for him.
So, why is it then that Rosie and Gerry were absent on perhaps the biggest day of Rory's career, the day he won the Masters and secured a Grand Slam victory?
According to Rory, Rosie and Gerry were MIA at the 2025 Augusta Nationals simply because they were up to their eyes having just moved house.
It didn't put a damper on the golfer's day, however, and instead he has the outlook that they were his good luck charm from a distance.
Rory McIlroy wins the 2025 Masters Tournament on April 13, 2025 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. GETTY IMAGES
During his appearance on Michael Breed’s SiriusXM show, Rory laughed: "They said it was a good thing [that they were absent from the tournament].
"They were glad they had something to do to take their mind off what was happening at The Masters."
We can imagine Rosie and Gerry's hearts were in their mouths watching their son's performance on the final day of the Augusta Nationals!
Of course, Rosie and Gerry were the first to receive a phone call after the ecstasy their son experienced once he finally slipped his arms into that all-important green jacket.
Rory said it was a 'very emotional' call, adding: "It was amazing to relive the week — and not just relive the week but the entire journey we’ve been on to get to this point."
"Being an only child, I obviously have an extremely close bond with my parents, and to be able to share this with them was incredibly special," Rory continued.
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He can say that again! The mother-father-son trio share an intense love of the sport which all began at Holywood Golf Course in Co Down.
As a young man, it's where Gerry honed his skills and later played at a scratch-handicap level. The Down man nurtured this love of the sport in Rory.
Rory was so young when the seeds of his sporting career were sewn that he was still in a buggy when Gerry would take him to the golf course to 'soak up' the scenery and listen to the sound of the ball 'coming into contact with the head of the club',' per the New York Times.
Rory was given his first plastic golf club when he was just 21 months old and went on to become a professional golfer thanks to sacrifices made by his beloved parents.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.
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