Rory McIlroy took a break from his Ryder Cup preparations to make a wish come true for a young boy at the Irish Open on Wednesday. World No. 2 McIlroy is at the K Club this week as he looks to fine-tune his performance ahead of golf’s showpiece biannual match-play team event in Rome at the end of the month.
The four-times Major winner had been asked if he would meet Michael Horgan – a seven-year-old boy who is suffering from a brain tumour.
McIlory was only too happy to oblige and on Wednesday he picked Michael up in a golf buggy from the ninth tee and drove him to his ball.
After a chat with his hero, Michael was handed McIlory’s range finder before the 34-year-old asked him to work out his yardage to the pin.
The global superstar would miss his birdie putt but he had another surprise in store when he handed Michael a bespoke putter to keep. After trying to sink a few balls on the green, Michael’s day was complete when McIlroy signed the head cover of his special new club.
Rory McIlroy took a break from his Ryder Cup preparations to make a wish come true for a young boy at the Irish Open on Wednesday. World No. 2 McIlroy is at the K Club this week as he looks to fine-tune his performance ahead of golf’s showpiece biannual match-play team event in Rome at the end of the month.
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But during his practice round at the County Kildare course, the Northern Irishman fulfilled a request he had received from the Make-A-Wish charity in Ireland.
The four-times Major winner had been asked if he would meet Michael Horgan – a seven-year-old boy who is suffering from a brain tumour.
McIlory was only too happy to oblige and on Wednesday he picked Michael up in a golf buggy from the ninth tee and drove him to his ball.
After a chat with his hero, Michael was handed McIlory’s range finder before the 34-year-old asked him to work out his yardage to the pin.
Rory McIlory gets some putting practice in with seven-year-old Michael Horgan. (Image: Getty)
McIlroy confirmed that he had done work for the charity before but admitted that the situation hit differently now that he is a father himself.
As per Independent.ie he said: “I’ve done a few different things over the years with Make-A-Wish and with different children’s charities, and it’s always been very fulfilling to be able to do it.
“But I think when you’ve got a child yourself… I feel very fortunate that we have a healthy little girl who’s very happy. There’s a lot of people in the world who would give up everything to have what we have in terms of a healthy child.
“It puts a lot of things in perspective, and just makes you very grateful for what you have.”
