Rory McIlroy explains why ‘Seve’ makes him emotional
DUBAI — Rory McIlroy didn’t just look exhausted on Sunday night, he Ring Finally, for the first time in aggravating hours, I sat down. His voice was hoarse and his shoulders seemed to be exhaling like his lungs.
McIlroy lost a playoff but won his seventh career Dubai tournament, all after hitting a falcon on the 72nd hole – a combination that would send any of us deep into the seat cushions. But at this stage of his career — after a lifetime of lifting trophies alone in the Middle Eastern country — few real results can excite McIlroy so much. This is a special result significance Those things that pull it out of him, this is obviously one of them.
European golf fans will not be surprised. About half an hour earlier, McIlroy had been interviewed on the green by Sky Sports interviewer Tim Butt, in which the subject of Seve Ballesteros was brought up. McIlroy has surpassed him to become the second-placed Dubai winner in history.
“It’s amazing,” McIlroy said, taking a deep breath. “I spoke to his wife Carmen before we went out today and she told me how proud he would be.
“Yes, yes-ah.”
Another big breath.
“I said this to you on the green last year,” McIlroy continued. “He means so much to this tour and to the European Ryder Cup team. We are united around his spirit, his words and everything he means to European golf.
“It was cool to tie him last year, but to pass him this year — yeah, my dream hasn’t gotten to that point yet. So that’s pretty cool.”
He made fun of it, so no, you’re not imagining it. McIlroy conducted a nearly identical interview with Butt last year.
We’ve seen this happen a few times – McIlroy gets choked up at the mention of Ballesteros’ name. He certainly made some of the reasons clear in these answers. For anyone on the DP World Tour and anyone associated with Ryder Cup Europe, Sevey’s ghost is very real. Every memorial wall has his quote. The contours of his swing are iconic. But for McIlroy to have this reaction happen so many times in such similar circumstances – just 12 months apart – makes me at least wonder if it means anything extra to him.
Few professionals are so introspective and As McIlroy, he’s vulnerable enough to share these inner thoughts, so he’s probably thought about it too. Why is he less excited when discussing his Irish golfing heroes? Or Tiger Woods? Arnold Palmer?
The truth lies within Rory’s golf-obsessed father, Gerry McIlroy, who worked multiple jobs with his mother so their son could pursue a golf career that would eventually become a major.
“I think Sevey’s spirit lives on on the European Tour and on the European Ryder Cup team, and he was always my dad’s favorite player,” McIlroy said in the first question of the press conference. His voice went from slightly hoarse to much gentler. He blinked back tears a few times and shrugged.
“Yeah, he was a beacon of European golf representation, and I…I just think about growing up and playing golf and my dad was a big part of that, and then, that connection he had with Seve – or Seve was that connection that really inspired him to play golf. And then, I don’t know, it was just similar to that.”
The answer is pieced together one emotion word at a time, like adding extra cars to an already moving train. But then he bounced back and ended it all with a smile.
“When I hear Seve’s voice it reminds me of my whole journey in the game and yeah, it’s very emotional.”
