Only a year ago Rory Mcllroy was a little known name in most American households. Rory was a far cry from the commonly mentioned names of Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus who both at one time or another dominated national golf headlines. That all changed when Rory took home the 2011 U.S. Open title on the 19th of June and came away at a record breaking 16-under-par to sweep the tournament.
Rory grew up in a part of the world rooted deep in golf history in the town of Hollywood. Not Hollywood, California but Hollywood, Northern Ireland. It’s there where from a young age, his father began cultivating a son who would eventually become a golfing superstar full of promise and intrigue. What didn’t hurt Rory’s chances at winning a US Open someday was that his father was a bit of a legend in the area himself and once played with a scratch handicap. Both his Father and his Mother realized they had something special and began working extra shifts and scraping up money in order to allow their son the chance at doing what he loved to do on a professional level. Eventually they got enough money to get Rory into the Hollywood Golf Club, a club notorious for its length and difficulty. Rory still gives credit to the course for allowing him the challenge he needed to hone his game and excel on an international stage.
After many years of winning both amateur and pro tournaments, Rory set his sights on the U.S. Open. One fact that not many know about is that just one week before the U.S. Open, instead of non-stop practicing like many of his competitors, Rory made a trip to Haiti where he acted as an ambassador for UNICEF to help raise awareness. Rory went on to set several records at the tournament beating previous records held by Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Jim Furyk and others.
What does Rory attribute his monumental win to? Hard work, dedication and a supportive family all played a key role in his victory but Rory also attributes one other small item which he adorned during the duration of the tournament. On his wrist he sported a black Trion:Z Active Bracelet which helps him focus his energy on his game. Did a magnetic bracelet shave a few strokes off his game on that momentous day? While no one knows the answer we do know that the world is sitting on the edge of their seat waiting to see Rory’s next move.
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