Over 25 years before he finally tasted Masters glory, Rory McIlroy was just a 9-year-old with a dream.
An adorable clip of McIlroy on Ireland’s Kelly, hosted by Gerry Kelly, in 1999 has resurfaced after the golfer completed the career grand slam with his win at Augusta National on Sunday, April 13.
During the interview, which came after McIlroy won the U10 World Championship, Kelly asked McIlroy how he practiced his golf game when the nasty Irish weather reared its ugly head.
“I chip air balls into my mom’s washing machine,” McIlroy said, which earned a laugh from the studio audience.
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It was an emotional day at Augusta National for Rory McIlroy on Sunday, April 13, which included a touching interaction between him and his competitor’s wife. McIlroy, 35, emerged victorious at the 2025 Masters Tournament, defeating Justin Rose on the first sudden-death playoff hole after a frenetic round that saw McIlroy blow a four-stroke lead […]
McIlroy then displayed his unique ability to chip balls into the machine live on set with a big smile on his face.
Kelly, 76, reflected on young McIlroy appearing on his talk show during a Tuesday, April 15, interview published in the Belfast Telegraph.
“I wish I had a pound for every time someone reminded me of that video,” said Kelly, who watched McIlroy’s Masters’ victory from his home in Ardglass, Ireland.
“Of course you could tell back then he had a special talent,” Kelly continued. “But just how special he would be, well, I don’t think any of us ever dared believe Northern Ireland would produce this sort of sporting superstar.”
McIlroy, 35, is from Holywood, Ireland, a coastal town right outside of Belfast.
“You see a lot of kids at 9 years old who have the talent and show a lot of promise, can do the fancy tricks, win the junior tournaments,” Kelly added. “Many of them will disappear, but from that night we chatted, I’ve followed his career and he hasn’t disappeared. He continued to progress while others, who might have shared that early talent, fell away.”
McIlroy’s parents, Rosie and Jerry, were notoriously supportive of their son’s golfing aspirations, with both his mother and father taking on second jobs to help fund his blossoming career.
During an interview with CBS’ Amanda Balionis after his win at the Masters, McIlroy gushed about his “incredible support system the whole way throughout my life.”
“As an only child, the support that I had from my parents — they saw some potential in me as a golfer and they gave me every opportunity to try to fulfill that potential,” McIlroy continued. “Talking to them on the phone after I won, my mom probably still hasn’t stopped crying.”
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