Parents lay the groundwork for the years to come in their child’s life. For Rory McIlroy, this crucial task was rightly done by his parents, Gerry McIlroy and Rosaleen McIlroy. Admittedly, they performed a great job too. Both career-wise and on a personal level, the Northern Irishman has proved his worth many times.

With his smooth swing and 24 PGA Tour victories, the 34-year-old is already one of the best golfers the game has ever seen. The credit? Well, McIlroy has time and again mentioned his gratitude for the sacrifices made by his parents. So who are the talented people responsible for shaping this gem of a golfer into who he is today?

Getting to know Rory McIlroy’s humble parents better

Gerry and Rosaleen McIlroy welcomed their only child in 1989, whom they named Rory McIlroy (short for Rory Daniel McIlroy MBE). The happy family made Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, their sweet abode. However, McIlroy was not born with a golden spoon in his mouth.

A lot of hard work and sacrifices by his parents went into shaping his future. While his father was a bartender at the Holywood Golf Club from noon to midnight, he spent whatever time he had left in the evenings at other sports clubs. His mother, on the other hand, spent late hours working at a factory during the night shift, just so they could afford their son’s dream career.

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What are their thoughts on this? Gerry McIlroy told Belfast Live, “I am a working-class man, and that’s all I knew—to get the money we needed for Rory to be able to learn and compete at golf.” 

The way the couple put effort into the upbringing of the DP World Tour pro does not go unacknowledged by him. Time and again, the star has expressed a tribute to his parents for all they have done for him. He has also admitted, “You don’t realize it at the time, but when you get a little older, you start to realize.”

However, he also realizes that he will “never be able to repay” his parents for all their efforts, but he will also “do whatever it takes to look after them.” The pro golfer is often seen sharing his victories with his folks. Apart from logging extra hours at work and the long years without any vacations, his father was also a big influence in getting him interested in the sport.

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Interestingly enough, Gerry McIlroy often went to the greens to play golf when McIlroy was a child, as the former was a good golfer himself. McIlroy’s father somewhere influenced him to develop a liking for the game. So much so that, to this day, he literally and metaphorically bets on his son’s successes and motivates him with the amount of trust he endows upon him.

But after receiving so much love as a child, what are the now-34-year-old’s views on his hometown?

What does McIlroy think of his hometown?

The hard-working star feels strongly connected to his place of birth. So much so that he often sheds light on his Northern Irish nationality and never fails to remember his roots.

Holywood is a closely knit town just outside of Belfast. The “home bird’s” proud take on the place that gives him “a sense of belongingness” is, “Northern Ireland is a little bit like a village in that way. It’s obviously a country with nearly two million people, but at the same time, it feels like anywhere I go, I’ll run into someone I’ve met along the way, and no one lets me get above my station.”

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The fact that everyone in his homeland treats him as an equal, despite the fame he has accrued over the years, makes the sensation feel even more connected to this place and its people. McIlroy has also described in the past that he was raised with the “if you work hard, you’ll succeed” mindset and how that has shaped him into the person he is today.

What is your take on Rory McIlroy’s parents? Share your views in the comments below.