TURN AROUND BRIGHT EYES!

Mcllroy's transformation from golf's Nearly Man to serial play-off winner a delight to the raucous Irish crowd

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

PANDEMONIUM at the K Club provided the latest proof that Rory Mcllroy has gone from Nearly Man to The Closer.

Scottie Scheffler is undoubtedly golf's dominant player of recent years but the Holywood star remains the sport's most exciting figure.

Yes, he was on home territory as he sealed the deal in Sunday's dramatic Irish Open, but the outpouring of support as he got into a play-off with Joakim Lagergren and then beat the Swede on the third play-off hole was simply off the charts.

The passion felt around the lakeside. 18th green is shared by fans across the globe. McIlroy is box-office and 2025 has cemented his legacy, with his elevation to the Grand Slam club franking his status as the golf's greatest since Tiger Woods.

Yet it is only just over a year that McIlroy delivered a devastating self-criticism of his game that perfectly summed up the demons he was grappling with.

McIlroy was reacting at Paris National after he had blown a golden opportunity to win an Olympic medal for Ireland.

Thrillingly, he made five five birdies in-a-row to put himself right in the mix but, from a perfect position on the 15th fairway, he found water instead of the flag. A double bogey ended his hopes.

It was the latest in a line of crushing disappointments that he had to come to terms with.