Rory McIlroy may not have clinched The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, but he walked away with something just as memorable — heartfelt fan love and unforgettable moments. From hearing “I love you, Rory” to “I named my eldest child after you,” the Northern Irishman soaked in the adoration. Reflecting on his visit, he said, “A lot of pride that I am from these shores, and with the way I’ve played and advocated for this little country.” Sure, the heartbreak of falling short might still linger, but that hasn’t stopped McIlroy from enjoying life.
In fact, just days after The Open, Rory was spotted embracing the summer vibes — and the champagne — at a beach club in Saint Tropez. As seen in a recent NUCLR GOLF video, a clearly tipsy McIlroy was laughing, dancing, and living it up under the sun. But what really caught fans’ attention was his cheeky interaction with a fan.
In the clip, a fan shouts, “Rory! Rory!” catching the attention of the clearly buzzed golf star. As McIlroy turns around, the fan jokes, “Where’s the green jacket? Yeah! Where is it? Where is it?” Without missing a beat, Rory McIlroy fires back, “It’s on the yacht!” The internet quickly agreed—“What a flex,” fans commented under the post. And honestly, it was the perfect comeback. It’s refreshing to see McIlroy in such spirits, especially after coming so close to a fairytale ending at Portrush.
#WATCH — Video shows Rory McIlroy going NUCLR at a beach club in Saint Tropez after The Open. @TrackingRory
Fan: “Where’s the green jacket?”
Rory: “It’s on the yacht”
(Via: brody.mandeIbaum19/TT) pic.twitter.com/2JMWRF4OOg
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 25, 2025
Despite the heartbreak, however, this isn’t the first time he cracked up the golf world. In 2024, Rory McIlroy let loose after winning the 2024 Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry, belting out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” at the top of his lungs in front of hundreds of fans. The karaoke moment was pure gold! The win was a long time coming, with McIlroy and Lowry first hatching their team plan over lunch and drinks in 2023, the Ryder Cup win. But did you know that even this iconic Zurich Classic duo became real after a moment fueled by drinks?
Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy’s Zurich Classic story started with a drunk lunch
In 2024, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were teaming up for the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and then confessed that it all started with a ‘drunk lunch.’ As McIlroy told Golf.com, “I asked him [to play]. You know it was actually, we had this really drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup last year, and I said after, ‘You wanna play the Zurich together?’ And we were like, yeah, let’s do it.” Interestingly, the 2024 event proved to be McIlroy’s debut at the Zurich Classic, a two-person team event since 2017, while Lowry had already played in it four times.
“So I was like, ‘Yeah, if you are looking to play?’” McIlroy said. “And I’ve never played before, so I’m looking forward to it,” Rory McIlroy said in 2024. They eventually won the event.
If it sounded familiar, then you would remember that the lunch in question was the same Lowry mentioned in an interview with Paul Kimmage of the Irish Independent in 2023, where he had McIlroy over for lunch, and they ended up with some unexpected guests, including Luke Donald and Michael Jordan. Lowry joked about the impromptu gathering, saying, “Rory, Luke and MJ sitting around talking about the Ryder Cup… Not really how I envisioned the celebrations.” Who knew that a boozy lunch would lead to a productive partnership? They again played this year, but failed to defend their title.
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