Seeing Rory McIlroy win the Irish Open was one of the more special moments of 2025.
McIlroy produced a stunning putt on the final hole before going head to head with Joakim Lagergren over three playoff holes before winning out.
The Northern Irishman has now won three times via playoffs in 2025, with victories at The Players, The Masters and now the Irish Open all coming via that route.
Of course, winning on home soil holds a special place for McIlroy.
He was roared on at Royal Portrush at The Open not so long back, while the crowds in Ireland at the K Club this week were something else.
Still, while McIlroy is proud of his roots and loves playing in Ireland, he’s also conceded that early on in his career, it was actually a negative for him.
Rory McIlroy says why he struggled playing in Ireland as a youngster
Just like when he won The Masters in April, McIlroy was full of emotion and pride after winning in Ireland.
McIlroy had spoken highly of the support he’d had all week and when speaking to Off the Ball afterwards at the K Club, he spoke of how that support and pressure had actually hindered him when he was younger.
“You know I feel very fortunate then when I come home I get the support that I do. I’ve had it twice this year, up at Portrush and now here for the Irish Open,” McIlroy commented.
“I don’t know if many other golfers get the support that I do when they come home. It’s incredible…I used to struggle a little bit with it you know, earlier on in my career with the pressure and expectation but I’ve learnt to embrace it and you know when I do it that way, and do embrace it, it brings the best out of me and I can ride the wave of momentum the crowd gives me.”
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Does Rory McIlroy’s win in Ireland top his Masters victory?
In terms of what it meant for his career, the answer to this is a resounding no. McIlroy has chased the Grand Slam all his career and finally doing it was massive.
However, in terms of raw emotion, crowd involvement and just how good it was to witness, this win at the Irish Open was right up there.
The putt on 18, the sheer joy of the crowds, and then the mental fortitude to see off Lagergren over three holes in a playoff were really quite something to watch.
So, while the Masters was McIlroy’s kryptonite and he was delighted to get it done, this win at the K Club was just as important and clearly, means a lot to him.
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