Joyous scenes at McIlroy's hometown club after members endure night of drama
After a night when members at Holywood Golf Club endured an emotional rollercoaster like no other, the clubhouse erupted as the local hero sank his birdie putt at the first play-off hole at Augusta National to finally capture a long sought green jacket and enter golfing immortality as a winner of the career grand slam of major titles.
There were tears and cheers as club stalwarts embraced, while junior members who dream of emulating their hometown hero chanted McIlroy's name.
The celebrations were a marked contrast to the sombre mood inside the club earlier in the night during the agonising moments of McIlroy's final round when he looked to have blown his chances of glory.
Club captain Trevor Heaven said he had a feeling that 2025 was going to be McIlroy's year.
'We're so proud – this is immense for Holywood Golf Club,' he said.
'When I took on the captain role I got my green jacket, and I always said, 'if I get my green jacket, Rory will come after me'.'
Former lady captain Paula Denvir said she kept faith that Holywood's most famous son would prevail in the end.
'It was so well deserved and we're all just so proud, we're just so made up for him,' she said.
'He just deserved this so much. There were tears of joy all over the place tonight and there was stunned silence too. Everybody is in bits. We're so delighted for him. It was brilliant.
'I'd every confidence in him, I don't know what it was about this year, I just thought 'he'll do this, this was it'. And I'm really glad he proved me right. I'm so delighted.
'For Holywood this is unbelievable. He's always been there, he's always been an ambassador, he's always been a supporter of the club. He has supported everything, he's supported charities, my charity last year – The Friends of the Cancer Centre.
'He's just an unbelievable ambassador for everywhere – for Holywood, for Northern Ireland, for Ireland, just across the board. And everybody should be just so proud.'
Mrs Denvir's husband Tony is the club president at Holywood.
She joked that, unlike her, he had the foresight to book a day off on Monday in anticipation of a draining Sunday night.
'It's incredible,' said Mrs Denvir.
'It's hard to put into words to be quite honest with you, and it's such a great achievement. Yeah, it's taken a wee while to do it. We all thought he was going to do it many years ago. It's taken a wee while, but he's got there in the end.
'And it's just absolutely unbelievable. For the whole country and for the game of golf in Northern Ireland – it's just fantastic.'
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