Rory McIlroy is one of golf’s true legends, a five-time major champion, and one of only six men in history to complete the career Grand Slam. His first taste of major glory came in 2011 when he blew away the field at the U.S. Open. He followed it up with two PGA Championship titles in 2012 and 2014, and a win at The Open that same year. For over a decade, Augusta remained the missing piece of a course that brought him both heartbreak and hope. That changed in 2025 when he finally slipped on the Green Jacket in a dramatic playoff to join the most exclusive club in golf. But before the world knew his name, there was a teenage boy from Northern Ireland doing the impossible at Royal Portrush.
“He shot a mere 61, broke the course record by three shots at Royal Portrush and uh, astounded everyone, including uh, his parents,” said Timothy Gay, author of Rory’s Land. At just 16 years old, Rory McIlroy did something at Royal Portrush that golfers twice his age could only dream of: he shot a staggering 61, breaking the course record by three shots. For a teenager, still technically a kid, to go that low on such a demanding course was beyond rare; it was unprecedented. That was the moment his parents and much of the golf world realized Rory wasn’t just gifted. He was generational. But his parents were not the only ones he stunned that day.
“When Michael Bannon got the call that night at home… Bannon thought the guy on the other end was pulling his leg,” said Gay, It wasn’t just disbelief, but it was complete shock. For someone who had coached Rory since the age of 8, Bannon knew the kid had talent, but a 61 at Royal Portrush? That was almost unthinkable, especially from a teenager. According to Gay, it wasn’t just the number, but rather how Rory got there: a stretch of birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie that left even experienced golfers speechless. The bond between Rory and Bannon has always been more than coach and student, but that night, even he had to pause and let it sink in.
“Rory, uh, an absolutely incredible moment. It is one of probably the three or four most famous amateur rounds of golf ever shot,” said Gay. Now, Rory McIlroy gets another shot. The Open, the championship every golfer dreams of, returns to Royal Portrush from July 17 to 20, and with it comes a rare chance to rewrite history on the course where it all began. Back in 2005, a 16-year-old Rory stunned the golf world by shooting a record-breaking 61. That round didn’t win him a trophy, but it cemented something deeper, a connection to Portrush that still lingers nearly two decades later.
“That is what made him a phenomenon not just in Ireland and Europe but, uh, all over the world,” He was just a fearless kid then. Now, with 18 years of experience as a professional and a career Grand Slam under his belt, he walks into Portrush not just as a contender but as someone with unfinished business.
Now, Rory being Rory, he’s always been one to make history. That may have been his first, but he’s been breaking records ever since.
The Record-Breaking Start at the Augusta…
At the 2025 Masters, Rory McIlroy once again showed the world what he’s made of this time by making history right from the first tee. In his third round on Saturday, he opened with an unbelievable run of six straight 3s on the scorecard, something no player had ever done in Masters history. Birdies on the first, third, fifth, and sixth, plus a spectacular eagle on the second, had him tearing through Augusta like never before. It wasn’t just good golf, it was a record-breaking charge that stunned even seasoned fans of the game.
That electric front nine wasn’t just about numbers; it set the stage for something far bigger. By the end of the day, McIlroy had taken the lead in a tournament that had haunted him for over a decade. And this time, he didn’t let it slip. That blazing start became the launchpad for his long-awaited Masters win that earned him the career Grand Slam, the holy grail in golf. In true Rory fashion, history didn’t just happen. He made it happen!
But with Portrush on the horizon again, one question remains: What if Rory’s greatest chapter is still ahead? We’ll find out soon enough!
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