Rory McIlroy says he nearly gave up golf

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Imagine the game without Rory McIlroy looked destined to be a great, but nearly packed it all in

Imagine the game without Rory

Rory McIlroy has won four major championships. He has been world number one for 95 weeks, a reign only bettered by Nick Faldo (97 weeks), Greg Norman (331 weeks) and Tiger Woods (683 weeks). He has appeared in three Ryder Cups, emerging victorious each time. He has twice been named RTE Sports Person of the Year, the Irish equivalent of the Sports Personality of the Year. He has won 19 tournaments as a professional, earning tens of millions since turning pro in 2007. 

Looking at his achievements, and the fact he possesses one of the most natural swings the game has ever seen, it would seem McIlroy was always destined for golf stardom. And yet, it could so easily have never happened. 

“I remember when I was 16, I said I didn’t want to do this anymore,” says McIlroy. “I was a typical teenager – stroppy – I wasn’t getting to spend enough time with my friends, I was driving to golf tournaments around the country and wasn’t really enjoying it.”

Thankfully, McIlroy stuck with it, and just three years later secured his first win on the European Tour. At the age of 22, he became the youngest player ever to reach €10 million in career earnings on the European Tour. A year later, he set the same record for being the youngest to reach $10 million in PGA Tour winnings. 

The game would be worse off without Rory

McIlroy says he has his parents to thank for everything. 

“I told my parents I wanted to quit and they said ‘Okay, now you will have to spend more time on your school work’. I went back pretty soon after that.

“My dad was, and still is, one of the biggest influences. Both my parents are in a golfing sense.

“My dad introduced me to the game and brought me to the driving range on his only day off, while my mother was the disciplinarian – she didn’t let me get away with too much.”

So there you have it, kids. Stick with it and you’ll be a multi-millionaire, travelling the world playing golf on the finest courses in existence. Even if you are still a bit stroppy, at times…

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