Holywood ‘bursting with pride’ after Rory McIlroy’s historic Masters win

Rory McIlroy’s hometown was “bursting with pride” after the golfer retained his Masters title in a thrilling back-to-back win.

The 36-year-old became the fourth man to win consecutive Masters titles, having first secured the green jacket – and a career grand slam – last year.

In McIlroy’s hometown of Holywood in Co Down, Northern Ireland, the celebrations were under way as people paid tribute in different ways to the local man putting their home on the map.

Around 400 biscuits featuring McIlroy wearing the green jacket were made by Skinners bakery, which had sold out of hotcakes after people arrived from the early morning buying 10 at a time.

His Holywood Golf Club, which erupted overnight after he tapped in a putt to win by one, offered a cocktail called “Rory’s Green Jacket”.

Demelza Kelly-Flynn, owner of Holywood Wine Bar, said it was “fantastic” to see McIlroy win the prestigious tournament twice in a row.

Ms Kelly-Flynn said she had flower displays at her wine bar featuring golf balls, and a poster outside her business of the green jacket that asks: “Fancy another round?”

“Did I think he could do it? Yeah I did. Did I think he was going to do it? Probably not but I was absolutely delighted that he did,” she told the Press Association.

“We cheered and hid behind cushions. One minute would be amazing and the next minute would be: ‘Oh what’s he done? Come on Rory you can do this.'”

She said she believed McIlroy’s win could boost tourism to the town and local businesses could benefit from “our local boy Rory doing good”.

“He had a dream and he worked hard and he went out and did it – twice.”

She said she knows McIlroy from when he was a child and her dad is friends with McIlroy’s father, Gerry.

“Really lovely family, they work really hard, and you can see that last night that Rory just absolutely dotes on his mum and dad and is really thankful and proud of just how much they did for him when he was growing up.

“No matter how big Rory has got or how successful he has got, he’s never really forgotten where he’s come from or who was there for him when he was growing up.”

Butcher Chris Gouk hung a poster in his shop window on Monday congratulating McIlroy on his back-to-back wins and said what he has achieved as a golfer is “incredible”.

“It was brilliant. We all sort of thought that after last year he would go on and win it again, but to win it the next year is just brilliant,” he said.

“The more Rory wins, we get more Americans, we get more Europeans, you do see more here because of Rory, so it is massive. It is really really good for the town.

“By the time his career is finished he could be the best golfer ever. He’s already the best European golfer, the sky’s the limit, it always has been, but absolutely brilliant. He’s incredible.”

Mayor of Ards and North Down Gillian McCollum said watching the last day of the tournament was “mesmerising”.

“We, in Holywood here and all over the borough, are just bursting with pride this morning. Our hopes were high, it looked good,” the Alliance councillor said.

“Every time with Rory there’s always a bit of a rollercoaster of emotion but it all came good in the end and we just couldn’t be more proud of him.

“Every step of the way he was looking as if he wanted it and he owned it. Every so often we rose up, we went down but it all came good in the end and was so exciting, right to the finish.”

She said they were engaging with his team for a “fitting” tribute to his contribution to golf and Holywood.