West of Ireland Championship: The verdant fairways and greens of Co Sligo Golf Club provided a suitably lush backdrop to frame the coronation of Irish amateur golf's most prized asset.
In claiming the Standard Life West of Ireland Championship, 15-year-old Rory McIlroy became the youngest person to take the title and delivered on the pedigree and potential suggested in his superb underage record in golf.
It was not simply the victory itself - the final instalment a two and one victory over 38-year-old Mallow jeweller David Finn - but the manner of the triumph that was arguably more impressive. The Holywood teenager didn't chalk up six victories on the strength of stunning technique but rather more diverse qualities. He demonstrated imagination, character and maturity to complement his golf game.
There was a relentless coursing of his opponents or conversely the nerve of a grizzled gun fighter, who refuses to blink no matter how perilous the situation. In the round of the last 16 he had to hole a 20-foot birdie putt on the home green against Alan Glynn just to take the match up tie holes.
There were no such heroics yesterday, although neither his semi-final victory over Banbridge's Rory Leonard, only decided on the 18th green when his par was good enough for a 1-up success, or the final itself, could be considered straight forward.
McIlroy's appeal was manifest in the large gallery of about 1,200 people that stampeded untethered over the Rosses Point links, drawing favourable comparison with the attendances in the Joe Carr era. A rope or two mightn't have gone astray to corral the enthusiastic supporters whose only concern was to grab the best vantage point irrespective of how it impacted on the players. The combatants often lost sight of the ball as the curtain of people closed in front of them.
Finn jumped into a two-hole lead early in the final, three birdies in the first six holes underlining the quality of his golf. He would miss just two fairways on the outward nine. McIlroy though refused to buckle and was level by the 10th. The see-saw nature of the contest was illustrated in the fact that the next four holes were traded equally; pars and three bogeys highlighted the tense nature of the proceedings.
Finn would later observe. "I just went out to play the game and did so for nine holes. On the back nine I lost my rhythm a little bit and started to struggle. That three-foot putt on 16 was a slider and I just over-hit it."
The last reference outlines Finn's failure to get up and down for par at the par-three, 16th and that nudged his opponent into a one-hole lead. The Mallow man didn't hit in regulation one of the par three greens.
The match was over at the 17th, McIlroy's eight-foot par putt sufficing to win both the hole and the championship.
"I can't really describe the feeling. To win a major championship in Ireland at 15 is awesome. It's definitely the best thing I've done in golf. I played so well the whole week. The last two or three matches were really tight. I was just striking it so well and putting guys under pressure and that is why I came through in the end."
McIlroy's ambition this season is to make the Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team that takes on the Americans at Chicago Golf Club from August 13th-14th. The feat, if achieved would make him the youngest ever player to participate on either side, eclipsing Justin Rose's mark of 17 years and 10 days.
In reference to joining the paid ranks McIlroy believes his game is good enough but isn't in any rush. "I don't think I'll turn too young. I'm not going to turn at 16 or 17. I might turn when I am 18. It'll definitely not be as young as Justin Rose."
His schedule this year will include the Lytham Trophy, Irish Amateur, Irish Close, St Andrews Links, and British Amateur amongst others. He also plans to take up an invitation to the British Masters at the Forest of Arden.
Having confirmed that, the personable young man rejoined his parents Gerry (he caddied all week for his son) and Rosie and considered putting through a call to Darren Clarke to rib him about never having won the West in his amateur career. Clarke's influence on the young McIlroy is perhaps most evident in the trousers the latter wore, hand-made by the Dungannon man's tailor in London.
Though for McIlroy owning more than one pair might take a few years. On the evidence of his career to date it's just a matter of time.
Hollywood's star
Date of birth: May 4th, 1989.
Club: Holywood. School: Sullivan Upper.
Roll of Honour: As a nine-year-old McIlroy won the World Under-10 Championship in Miami. He has also captured the Nick Faldo Series (under-15) and has tasted success in the Ulster Boys Championship twice.
Last year was very successful: he won the Irish Boys Championship, the Irish Youths Championship, and was a member of the victorious Junior Ryder Cup team that won in America. McIlroy also finished fourth in the Junior Open Championship in Scotland, tied second in the qualifying rounds of the European Boys Championship in Finland and finished fourth in the European Young Masters in Austria. He concluded 2004 with a tied- fifth in the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray.
