I was there on reporting duty for NCG, and saw McIlroy caress home the winning putt and drop to his knees, standing under the oak tree about 100 yards short of the famous 18th green. A crestfallen Justin Rose gracefully congratulated his Ryder Cup teammate and friend on this first playoff hole, after the pair had tied following a final round for the ages.<\/p>\n
Having been immersed in golf since the age of 12, whether that be watching, playing or writing, I had always been aware of Rory\u2019s seismic popularity, but perhaps not the emotional stranglehold he has on fans on the ground. Several people at Augusta were moved to tears, both walking the course on the other side of the ropes, and among my peers in the media centre.<\/p>\n
But, like I say, winning the Masters was part of a collectively strong year for the 36-year-old. Before this, he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, and the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. What is often lost in the modern game is that venues matter, and McIlroy won events at venues which resonate with the golfing audience.<\/p>\n
He then won at Augusta, but sadly couldn\u2019t reach that same peak of the mountain at the other majors. Winning The Open at Royal Portrush would\u2019ve arguably matched winning the Masters, but it wasn\u2019t to be. The feverish, loyal Irish crowd willed every putt in and energised McIlroy through every step of the 153rd Open in July on the Antrim Coast.<\/p>\n
One experienced US reporter told me that when The Open is at Portrush, the crowds Rory attracts are equal to Tiger Woods in his pomp. The depth and passion of the crowd that McIlroy harnesses on home soil was also clear when he won the Irish Open in a playoff against Joakim Lagergren.<\/p>\n
Much like many putts he made for Europe at this year\u2019s Ryder Cup in September, McIlroy forced an eagle through sheer determination on the 72nd hole to enter a playoff with the Swede, who had the hopeless task of facing Rory McIlroy in sudden death for the Irish Open title.<\/p>\n
Having already told the world Europe would win the 2025 Ryder Cup two years previously, there was weight on his shoulders to lead the continent and deliver their first away win since 2012, and only the third away win of any team in this event since the turn of the millennium.<\/p>\n
The confused, bewildered operation that was the US Ryder Cup team picked Keegan Bradley, one of the best active players in the world, as captain, and it seemed his side\u2019s best asset was the crowd at Bethpage in Long Island, which arguably showed more fight than the 12 players wearing red, white and blue.<\/p>\n
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ALSO: What more does Rory McIlroy have to achieve in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n Countless reports from the ground and video footage showed that McIlroy and his family were the subjects of vile abuse alien not only to golf, but to sport in general. While the performance of McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm and the rest of Luke Donald\u2019s side will live long in the memory, Ryder Cup organisers must look back on what McIlroy faced outside of the ropes, feel great shame and do better.<\/p>\n As it happens, Team Europe won Sports Personality Team of the Year as well, which McIlroy and Fleetwood accepted with large grins on stage.<\/p>\n All of this came before McIlroy won the Race to Dubai for the fourth time in a row, and seventh in total. That took him past the six Order of Merits in Europe that Seve Ballesteros won, and one closer to the eight of Colin Montgomerie.<\/p>\n Everything that McIlroy does now, whether he misses a three-footer to win or lose, he places in the context of having his daughter Poppy by his side. During last night\u2019s ceremony, he became emotional when speaking about Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe, who won the Helen Rollason award for outstanding contribution in the face of adversity. <\/p>\n Sergio and David launched fundraising projects to continue the legacies of their daughters, Elsie and Alice, who were killed in the Southport atrocities of July 2024.<\/p>\n McIlroy has never been shy to shed a tear, and perhaps last night, the penny dropped to the wider public that he deserved this award not only for his achievements, but for the very criteria it is based on: personality.<\/p>\n Now, on the distant approach to 40 and a father to a five-year-old girl, McIlroy can say he\u2019s a grand slam champion, only one of six in the history of the men\u2019s game, and one of only three golfers to win the Sports Personality of the Year award.<\/p>\n NOW READ: What clubs does Rory McIlroy use?<\/a><\/p>\n