In this video, Dan Parker takes a look at the career and life of Rory McIlroy. Arguably the most gifted golfer of his generation, his life on the fairways has been well documented from a young age. However, there are certain things you may not already know - we'll take a look at what they are.
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00:00In the world of golf, there are just a few players that could be described as a global superstar.
00:04Tiger Woods heads that list, and another member is Rory McIlroy.
00:08Now, with that level of fame, it's easy for fans to get a lot of information about the Northern Irishman.
00:13But believe it or not, there is still a lot that people don't know about him.
00:17With that in mind, here are 10 facts on the four-time major winning golfer that you may or may not know.
00:22Firstly, Rory McIlroy's father, Gerry, made £100,000 from a bet he placed in 2004.
00:27Gerry staked £200 at odds of 500-1 that his son, then aged 15, would win the Claret Jug within the next 10 years, including 2014.
00:36Rory did that at Royal Liverpool, winning by two shots.
00:39The ages of 9 and 10 were quite impressive for McIlroy.
00:41He won the Under-10s World Championship at Doral, aged 9.
00:44And at the same age, he appeared on TV chipping golf balls into a washing machine.
00:48Rory McIlroy then reportedly made his first hole-in-one at the age of 10.
00:51In 2021, Rory became the first international player to serve on the PGA Tour's policy board.
00:57He was elected PGA Tour player advisory council chairman.
01:00Well, what does that mean?
01:02Well, the PAC advises and consults with the PGA Tour policy board on issues affecting the tour.
01:07McIlroy is from Hollywood in Northern Ireland, near Belfast, and he played at Hollywood Golf Club growing up.
01:13His father, Gerry, was a scratch handicapper and he got Rory into the game at a young age.
01:17In fact, both Gerry and Rory's mum, Rosie, took on extra jobs and shifts to help support his golf development.
01:22In 2016, McIlroy split with his long-time caddie, JP Fitzgerald.
01:26Since then, McIlroy has had his childhood best friend, Harry Diamond, on the back.
01:30They played golf together as juniors at Hollywood Golf Club, and Diamond was best man at McIlroy's wedding.
01:34Rory got married to former PGA of America employee Erica Stoll in 2017.
01:39They famously met while he was running late for his tee time on the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup.
01:44They have one child together called Poppy.
01:48Well, his first coach was Michael Bannon, and the pair started working together when Rory was just 8 years old.
01:53Rory has often consulted with Pete Cowan as well, but Bannon still remains a permanent fixture of Rory's team.
01:59McIlroy has an estimated net worth of around $150 million, and he has a long, long list of sponsors,
02:04including TaylorMade, Nike, NBC Sports, Omega, Optum, and Workday.
02:10McIlroy is a big sports fan outside of golf. He's an avid Manchester United fan, as well as an Ulster rugby fan.
02:16He also loves his boxing and used to regularly follow Kyle Frampton's fights.
02:19Rory is one of three men, alongside Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, to have won four majors by the age of just 25.
02:25He may still currently be in a major drought, but that is pretty illustrious company to be in.
02:30So, there you have it. 10 things you may or may not have already known about Rory McIlroy.
02:35For more facts and tour player content, be sure to take a look at the tour section on the Golf Monthly website.