Long before Rory McIlroy became a World No. 1 and multi-time major winner, he began pursuing golf as a young kid overseas.
By now, McIlroy’s status as one of the greatest golfers ever is cemented; he became the sixth man to achieve a career grand slam at the 2025 Masters, also becoming the first European to do so. But very early in his career, his drive to succeed in golf hadn’t yet led to the significant accolades, as he slowly climbed up the ranks.
McIlroy is now considered among the all-time greats in golf, not to mention his status among the best-ever international players, like Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.
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Here’s what to know about McIlroy’s roots, from his hometown and upbringing, to his young golf career before he emerged as one of the best players in the world.
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Where is Rory McIlroy from?
McIlroy was born in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland in 1989. His father was also from Holywood, while his mother was from Lurgan, County Armagh.
Growing up, McIlroy attended a Catholic primary school, then a mixed grammar school. When he was young, his father helped introduce him to golf with plastic clubs, and it quickly became the young Irishman’s passion. In a 2009 story from The Guardian, McIlroy said he would chip golf balls “through the opened front door of their Holywood home and straight into his mum’s washing machine,” and he first modeled his swing after his dad’s, who played scratch golf.
“I always got very excited about the Masters as a kid. I could hardly wait until the Wednesday when you’d get the BBC’s preview. And I’d then be glued to the screen until Sunday night. I really got hooked when Tiger won it in 1997,” McIlroy said, per The Guardian. “I was only eight but I watched every hole that year. I’ve got the tape and I’ve seen it so many times I can tell you almost every shot he played.”
McIlroy’s parents also took on extra work to make his golf dreams come true, a story from BelfastLive detailed. His father, Gerry McIlroy, called himself a “working-class man,” and said he and McIlroy’s mother, Rosie, just wanted “to get the money we needed for Rory to be able to learn and compete at golf.”
McIlroy became a golf phenom at a young age, winning the U10 World Championship in Miami when he was nine years old. By 2005, he decided to leave school to focus on his golf career; that year, he also became the youngest-ever winner of both the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship.
The Irishman’s amateur career is what eventually led him to tons of professional success. He helped Ireland win the 2007 European Amateur Team Championship, the country’s first title since 1987, and also became the top-ranked amateur in the world in 2007.
He officially turned pro in September of 2007, the beginning of a career that would see him win five majors, including one of each.
Where did Rory McIlroy go to college?
McIlroy did not go to college. In 2004, he signed a letter of intent to play golf at East Tennessee State University, but after a few amateur wins in 2005, he chose to forego the scholarship and continue playing amateur golf in Europe.
That was a decision that certainly worked out for McIlroy, as he quickly became one of the best amateurs in the country before his professional career.
How old is Rory McIlroy?
McIlroy is 36 years old. He was born on May 4, 1989.
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Rory McIlroy career earnings
McIlroy has made just over $188.1 million over his professional golf career, per Spotrac. Around $160.1 million of that has come from PGA.
