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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Rory McIlroy and Michael Grant in 2006 at Ballyliffin Golf Club
Rory McIlroy's grand-slam clinching win at The Masters has rekindled plenty of memories locally.
McIlroy has had a long association with Ballyliffin Golf Club that stretches far back beyond 2018 when his foundation hosted the Irish Open.
In 2005, the then 16 year old amateur from Holywood Golf Club in County Down entered a revived Scratch Cup at Ballyliffin and went on to win it.
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Michael Grant was the Ballyliffin captain that year, and recalls the buzz around the golf prodigy that season. McIlroy also won the Irish Close Championship that season, as well as the West of Ireland Amateur Open and turned professional two years later.
Before turning pro, though, McIlroy was back in Ballyliffin in 2006 for the official opening of the redesigned Old Links with his mentor Nick Faldo.
Faldo, a three time winner of The Masters, had overseen the construction of a new hole at the 15th and added extensive new bunkering on the Old Course and was in Ballyliffin to play 18 holes with clubcaptain Maurice Friel and the young McIlroy who was by then a rising star in his 'Faldo Series' which supported young golfers.
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