WILD WEST

20 years on from 16-year-old Rory's big breakthrough win

- DARAGH SMALL

RORY Mcllroy had already won the Ulster Boys', Irish Boys' and Irish Youth's Championships and the West of Ireland but this title in Westport was even more special.

It's 20 years since the current World No.2 lit up the fairways in Mayo to claim the AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close Championship, The 16-year-old defeated Eddie McCormack in the final after wins over Connor Doran and Sean McTernan. Indeed, McTernan was another one of the talking points that week, following a record breaking 61.

McIlroy only had 1 hole to spare over the Co Sligo golfer in the quarter-finals, the same narrow margin when McTernan defeated Banbridge hopeful, Rory Leonard, in the third round.

"Sean had shot a course record in the qualifying and he beat me on the last. Rory beat him in the quarter-finals by one hole after that," said Leonard.

Leonard is a former Ulster teammate of Mcllroy, who now works as Championships Manager with Golf Ireland.

And a few months previous to Westport, Leonard was in Co Sligo to witness the first part of an historic double.

McIlroy, who was then just 15, completed the first leg before he finally matched Garth McGimpsey's efforts from 1988.