Rory McIlroy fights tears after Irish triumph

• Rory McIlroy fights back tears after stunning Irish Open win
• The 27-year-old finished birdie-par-eagle to snatch the title
• “I’ll not forget this day for a while,” said the 27-year-old

Rory McIlroy had to fight back the tears on the 18th green after the realisation hit home that he’d won the Irish Open for the first time in his career.

A scintillating final three holes from the Northern Irishman saw him claw back a one-shot deficit from Scot Russell Knox to take home the title at The K Club, with the four-time major winner donating his €666,000 cheque to the Rory Foundation – who hosted the event.

“It all just sort of hit me,” said Rory McIlroy. “I had a little bit of time on the green when Russell and Danny were finishing out, and I was trying to hold back the tears then.

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“Golf-wise this week, it’s obviously very important to me but the work that we’ve put into this tournament and the work that we’ve put into the foundation, and the people that we are going help from this week – I mean, we’ve already raised over half a million Euros going into today for the three chosen charities, and then all the winnings go towards that, as well, so we’ve broken the million Euro mark this week, which is absolutely incredible.

“I don’t usually get emotional about golf or about wins, but this one, it means just a little bit more, because it’s not just for myself. It’s for a lot of other people. Yeah, it’s a day I’ll not forget for a while.”

Knox, who birdied 14 and 15 to pull one clear, said it was ‘all joy’ and that he played ‘excellently’ all week, as McIlroy stole the show to win by three shots with these two incredible approach shots on 16 and 18.

McIlroy from 271 yards. https://t.co/9uEqWgUuK9

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 22, 2016

253 yards.

The shot of a champion. https://t.co/7EpcJKAbWH

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 22, 2016

“Sixteen was the turning point in the tournament,” he said. “Russell birdied 14 and 15, which are two of the toughest holes on the course. So to birdie those two, I knew I was going to have to do something on the last three holes.

“It was just a perfect 3-wood. It was slightly into the wind. I knew if I really flushed it, I would be able to get it pin-high. But if I just hit a good one, solid shot, it was going to end up where it did. I didn’t anticipate Russell making a bogey there, so it was a huge, two-shot swing.

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Rory McIlroy :: All set up for the US Open?

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