As it turned out, on the 9th tee of the final round of the European PGA Championship at Wentworth West Course, Matteo Manassero started to go down and eventual champion Billy Horschel started to go up. At the end of such an exciting golf weekend, the American won the tournament for the second time, eagle on the second playoff hole, you guessed it, he defeated the Northern Irish king Rory McIlroy. It was Rory McIlroy's second consecutive week. The only difference is that last week he was the runner-up, and this week he was the runner-up. 

Rory McIlroy Profile

Rory McIlroy, born on May 4, 1989 in Holywood, Northern Ireland, is a professional golfer. He is a world-renowned athlete known for his outstanding golf skills and winning many important tournaments. Rory McIlroy showed his talent for golf at a very young age. He was exposed to golf at the age of two and began formal training at the age of five. At the age of nine, he won the World Under-10 Championship. Rory McIlroy became the world's number one amateur in 2007 and turned professional in 2009. He is known for his powerful tee shots, accurate iron shots and excellent putting skills. During his career, Rory McIlroy won four men's golf major championships, namely the 2011 US Open, the 2012 US PGA Championship, the 2014 British Open, and the 2014 US PGA Championship. He once topped the official world golf rankings and became the world's number one. In addition to the Grand Slam, McIlroy has also won many other professional golf events, including the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, etc. McIlroy is also a key member of the European Ryder Cup team, helping the team win many times. 

Rory McIlroy's Golf Tips

Rory McIlroy is known for his exceptional golf skills, and here are some of the key elements of his technique.

Stance and Alignment: Maintaining a straight, balanced stance with feet shoulder-width apart helps achieve optimal control and power distribution during the swing.

Grip and Hand Position: Using a strong left-hand grip and ensuring that the right hand supports the swing, this hand position helps control the clubface at impact.

Backswing: During the backswing, he fully extends his arms while keeping his wrists in a fixed position, which helps produce a wider swing arc and more power.

Downswing and Impact: The transition from the backswing to the downswing is fluid, with an emphasis on driving the ball with the legs and hips, a sequence that maximizes power while maintaining accuracy.

Followthrough: His followthrough is complete and balanced, with the body facing the target direction, ensuring that energy is transferred forward, enhancing the distance and trajectory of the shot.

Source of Power: Rory McIlroy releases his hips very late in the downswing because he drives hard with his legs at the start of the downswing, which generates a lot of clubhead speed, especially for a guy his size (five-foot-nine, 160 pounds).

Impact: Rory McIlroy has what is known as the "NASCAR" move: a continuous rotation to the left! As his hips clear and his shoulders open, Rory McIlroy continues to rotate.

Release: This is one of my favorite positions, especially in the swing of a power hitter. Notice how his legs are long and extended, but his torso is still pointed toward the ground and still rotating. This is evidence that he is still driving hard into the ground after impact.

Extension: A classic high-trajectory release with the back of the glove rotating down and the clubhead rotating with no stopping.

Staying on Plane: McIlroy emphasizes keeping his backswing on plane. If the club is not in the correct position in his backswing, he is forced to lift up, which causes his elbows to bend and the club to go across the line, ultimately creating an inconsistent swing path.

Fans' expectations for McIlroy before the game

The Irish Open is like the white moonlight in the hearts of the Irish. Since its creation, the European PGA Championship has been determined to become a European Grand Slam. It is one of the victories that every European golfer pursues throughout his life. Generations of European stars in history have won the championship of this event. Rory McIlroy is of course no exception. As early as 2014, two years before winning the Irish Open, he won the championship in Wentworth. That year, he also defeated Mickelson by one stroke in the US PGA Championship, becoming the youngest Grand Slam four-time champion after Eldrick "Tiger" Woods and Jack William Nicklaus. That was the peak era that belonged to Rory McIlroy. Therefore, on Sunday afternoon in London, countless British fans came from all directions, hoping that the most outstanding star in the British Isles could achieve the feat of overtaking on the last day of the game and retain this historic and glorious trophy for the British. But no one knows the final outcome, just like no one can predict the performance of wheat every day. As the old saying goes. The biggest prediction about wheat is that it is unpredictable.

Highlights of the match

After a while, Thriston Lawrence was the first to reach -19. After the turn, he got the third of four birdies on the 14th hole. Billy Horschel followed, and he got his 23rd birdie of the week on the 12th hole. Meanwhile, Aaron Rai and Matteo Manassero stagnated together, but still led Rory McIlroy by one stroke. The match became a battle of five tigers. Rory McIlroy got a birdie on the short 14th hole, and was only one stroke behind. Then Matteo Manassero and Billy Horschel both got bogeys on the 15th hole, and Thriston Lawrence got a 10-yard birdie putt on the 16th green, and once again consolidated his lead. There were only two par-5 holes left in the match. On the 18th hole, Aaron Rai hit the green from 245 yards into the water, and took a bogey, ending the game at -17. Rory McIlroy hit the 17th hole twice, successfully caught a 45-foot eagle, and came to the lead at -20; Billy Horschel also got a birdie, and was one stroke behind. At the same time, Thriston Lawrence chose to slow down on the 18th hole, hit three times and finally saved par, and finished the 72-hole game at -20. The opportunity was once again left to Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel behind. Although Rory McIlroy's second shot of 4-iron still hit the long grass, and after saving the ball on the green, he finally missed the 5-yard birdie putt; Billy Horschel caught a 4-foot birdie, also came to -20, and the three entered the playoff. The playoff started on the 18th hole, a par-5. In the first extra hole, Thriston Lawrence hit the water with his third shot and took a bogey, and was the first to be eliminated. Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel both made birdies with one putt, and the two continued to play. In the second playoff, both players scored two, Rory McIlroy's eagle putt was weak, and he grabbed birdie. Billy Horschel directly pushed in a 10-yard eagle, which ended the game directly. 

Fans' feelings towards Rory McIlroy after the game

To be fair, Rory McIlroy's performance was good enough when he was behind on the last day. But just one mistake put him in a dangerous situation where he had to fight back, which seemed to be the theme of many of his games this year. "I played well for two consecutive weeks," Rory McIlroy said, "but not well enough. But you know, I'm very happy that my skills are online and I'm also satisfied with my recent progress. I will take a week off and then participate in the Dunhill game in the next few weeks." Compared with Rory McIlroy's slightly official response, fans all over the world are arguing. Some people even quoted the famous saying of the late star Kobe Bryant - second place is the number one loser. Indeed, for 99% of people, second place is enough, but Rory McIlroy is that 1%. As the only person in the world who is considered to have taken over the mantle of Eldrick "Tiger" Woods, even though he has won four majors, even though he was once ranked No. 1 in the world, and even though his career has been so strong and long, people seem to always have a unique expectation for Rory McIlroy. However, slowly, this expectation has changed from the previous green jacket to winning another major, and now to seizing the opportunity to win a victory at a critical moment. In other words, fans' expectations are gradually decreasing, and they don't want to see Rory McIlroy always make mistakes in important games. Many people even blame these results on his caddie and childhood friend Harry Diamond. 

Rory McIlroy and his family

Rory McIlroy is not only good on the golf course, he also takes his family life very seriously. McIlroy values time with his family very much, and although he spends most of his time traveling around the world to compete, he always makes time for his family as much as possible, especially with his wife and daughter. His wife Erica is from New York and is a former employee of PGA of America. The two met at the Ryder Cup in 2012. Rory McIlroy's relationship with Erica Stoll began to develop in 2015, and they got married in 2017. They have a daughter named Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, who was born on August 31, 2020. McIlroy's home is in the United States, where he lives with his wife and daughter. His wife Erica has a positive influence on his career and is described as a "calming presence". Although they were rumored to divorce in 2024, they later decided to reconcile and are ready to move forward hand in hand. Rory McIlroy once said: "Over the past few weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future is as a family. Thank God, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning."

In general, McIlroy's daily life revolves around his training, competitions and spending time with his family. He cherishes time with his family, especially his daughter Poppy, who often appears in his games and has become a little star.

After the game, Rory McIlroy's photos with his daughter Poppy were widely circulated on social media. Despite the painful loss, Rory McIlroy remained positive and was comforted by his family after the game. His wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy gave him a warm hug and kiss after the game. This warm moment was captured by the DP World Tour camera and shared on social media. The title of the video is "Losing is hard, family makes it easy." 

Conclusion

Today's golf world is no longer the stage for young Rory McIlroy to freely display his talent. Compared with the tiger-like dominance of champion Billy Horschel in the past two years, the space left for Rory McIlroy has become more limited, and time is not so abundant. But for Rory McIlroy, the game has never been about skills or others, but more about a person's heart. When he is about to turn 40, how to meet a stronger self has always been a compulsory course in a man's life. Everyone knows this, and Rory McIlroy himself knows it.

On the golf course of life, every swing is full of unknowns. Just like Rory McIlroy, on the golf course, he is not only the player who hits accurately and pursues excellence, but also a father and husband who finds balance in the ups and downs of life. Although he may not have taken the trophy home as he wished in the recent game, when he turned around and saw the smiles of his wife and daughter, those moments of loss became less important.

So, even in the loss of the game, we can find the meaning of life. Because every attempt, no matter what the result, is part of our growth. McIlroy's story tells us that even in imperfect moments, we can find perfect moments-that is, time spent with family.

Play golf with your family. Autumn is the best time to play golf outdoors. You can enjoy this beautiful process together. If you need, you can click on the link, and we can directly provide you with the best golf-related products.