Holywood ending Home town pride for McIlroy's masterpiece

The torture was over, the sun shone and images of the familiar toothy grin were sprouting across Holywood, birthplace of the embodiment of agony and ecstasy known as Rory McIlroy.

- Rory Carroll

The torture was over, the sun shone and images of the familiar toothy grin were sprouting across Holywood, birthplace of the embodiment of agony and ecstasy known as Rory McIlroy. Yesterday afternoon, the Northern Irish town could finally flaunt images of its most famous son without risk of jinxing him because he had won the Masters and history was in the bag.

Hours after his triumph at Augusta sealed his place in golf immortality, McIlroy grinned from shop windows, gallery portraits, magazine covers, digital displays and biscuits.

"They have been flying out the door since 8am. My wife has been printing more pictures all morning," said Graham McMorris, co-owner of Skinners bakery, which had already sold several hundred Rory biscuits, a concoction of butter, sugar, flour, jam, icing and sweet, sweet pride, for £1.20 each.

Since the prodigy swept through golf like a wildfire just over a decade ago - and then flamed out at successive major tournaments - his career became a psychodrama that tormented his fans and fascinated the sporting world.