As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, Rory McIlroy used his speech in the official green jacket presentation to deliver an emotional message to his daughter Poppy.
“Never ever give up on your dreams. Keep coming back, keep working hard, and if you put your mind to it, you can do anything,” he said, once again fighting through tears.
In the decade since his last major victory, his doubters questioned his mental toughness the longer the drought extended. Indeed, with two double bogeys in his final round, it would have been tested to its absolute limit.
McIlroy said he still couldn’t believe he was the owner of a green jacket.
McIlroy with daughter Poppy and wife Erica Stoll after the green jacket ceremony. Getty
“I go back to watching this tournament with my father when I was 7 and 8 years old, watching Tiger Woods do what he did in 1997,” McIlroy said.
“That was my inspiration to try to become what I am today. To think that that I’m up here wearing one of those green jackets, honestly it’s a dream come true, like my dreams have been made today.
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to be standing here. I’ve dreamt about this moment for so long and I can’t wait to be here again next year, in Scotty’s position, hopefully, putting the green jacket back on myself.”
McIlroy fought back tears in his speech. Getty
