Rory McIlroy revealed that he once donated all Ireland’s public bonuses to charities as he set his sights on the 2025 championship.
The latest version of the event will be held at K Club Kildale outside Dublin. It’s a familiar field for McIlroy, where he won in 2016.
That year marked the last time the K club held the Irish Open, with McIlroy hoping the Lightning could hit twice.
Nine years ago, the Northern Ireland man finished 12 times with two shots to win his first championship of the season.
It turned out to be an exciting ending as McIlroy fell behind Scots Russell Knox with one shot but returned from behind in the last three holes.
Looking back on this success, the 36-year-old said: “End like me is something I will never forget.
“To win in front of my home fans, looking up at my friends and family, something special for me.
“I’m excited about the coming weeks. Hopefully I can do it in this form in the summer.”
Rory McIlroy is generous
McIlroy is a fresh 27-year-old 27-year-old who won $700,000 from the Irish Open nearly a decade ago. He immediately showed his generous side when he donated the bonus to the charity Rory Foundation.
The charity provides financial assistance to the Children’s Cancer Fund. It can also help people change their lives through sports, providing a variety of courses, education and community advocacy.
Interestingly, McIlroy’s 2016 Irish Open victory marked the end of his unbeatable drought. Nevertheless, his new momentum has not been directly successful in other events.
Rory McIlroy’s Historical Year Continued
Although the Northern Irish failed to capitalize on his 2016 Irish Open victory, it can be said that he is entering the 2025 edition behind the huge recent success.
Last April, McIlroy won the Masters, realizing his lifelong dream for golfers. It also marks a moment in history, as he is only the sixth player to complete a golf grand slam, winning at least once for every major.
After the Tour Championship, he said: “This season isn’t over for me, and I still have a lot of golf coming, so I refuse to call it that at the end of the season.
“This week, I played better. Things I want to do this week to improve.
“It’s much better off the tee, I might lead the clubs to get from the tee, but I couldn’t get the green speed all week, I struggled to see the lines and feel the speed.
“That’s really the story of this week. Last week I had a really good putt and then my tee wasn’t good, a little bit of a reversal.
“But this week I’ll definitely go from T-shirt to Green, and I can’t really put down my putts. My game feels close, and certainly not far away.”
McIlroy was also preparing for the Ryder Cup on Bethpage Black later in September.
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