“PRO” File – Touring Professional Rory McIlroy

Hollywood, California is where many stars in the entertainment business are made, but Holywood, Northern Ireland, can also lay claim to producing its own star. Rory McIlroy has been a fixture on the international scene since 2007 when he made a splash at The Open as an amateur. Turning pro in September of that year, he scored two top-four finishes in European Tour events to earn his card.

Slated for stardom since he was a youngster, McIlroy has failed to disappoint. By the end of 2008 he moved into the top 50 on the Official Golf World Ranking, and in 2009 he won the Dubai Desert Classic for his first win. By this time, he was well known to golf fans everywhere, and great things were expected. In the 2011 Masters, McIlroy held a four-stroke lead going into the final round, but nerves and a faulty swing played a part as he shot 43 on the final nine. He bounced back to win the U.S. Open later that year, the first of four major victories.

It would take far too long to list his numerous accolades, but McIlroy is known as one of the finest gentlemen in the game, always giving of his time to the media and fans. He and his wife Erica have one daughter.