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-COMMENTATOR: -The ball disappears and it's official - | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
Rory McIlroy is an Open Champion. | 0:00:04 | 0:00:08 | |
It's been a remarkable last four years | 0:00:08 | 0:00:11 | |
for Northern Ireland's trio of golfing stars. | 0:00:11 | 0:00:14 | |
-COMMENTATOR: -And Graeme McDowell's dream has come true. | 0:00:14 | 0:00:16 | |
Open Champion. Congratulations, Darren Clarke. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:20 | |
They've had unprecedented success, | 0:00:20 | 0:00:23 | |
capturing six of the sport's most prestigious titles. | 0:00:23 | 0:00:27 | |
Most recently, this summer, Rory McIlroy two major tournaments | 0:00:29 | 0:00:33 | |
in a row, to become the number one player in the world. | 0:00:33 | 0:00:37 | |
Because of their hectic schedule and jet-set lifestyle, | 0:00:41 | 0:00:45 | |
few thought it possible the three would ever come together | 0:00:45 | 0:00:49 | |
for a major interview. | 0:00:49 | 0:00:50 | |
If you can get the three lads in the room at the one time, scheduled, | 0:00:52 | 0:00:56 | |
and they all turn up on time. No, actually, if they turn up full stop, | 0:00:56 | 0:00:59 | |
that's good enough. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
But they did. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:03 | |
-Am I first here? -Yes. -Am I?! | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
-Can I be Clarkey? -Yes. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:08 | |
I just want to make sure he wasn't coming in a suit. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:15 | |
You know what he's like. | 0:01:15 | 0:01:17 | |
Everybody here? | 0:01:17 | 0:01:19 | |
He's here! | 0:01:22 | 0:01:24 | |
-You said... You said...you weren't going to wear a jacket. -First here. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:28 | |
Three major champions, together for the first time. | 0:01:28 | 0:01:32 | |
Darren, Graeme, Rory, at last we have managed to get | 0:01:35 | 0:01:39 | |
the three of you in the same room at the same time. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
Three major champions together for some major conversation. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:47 | |
Graeme, why is it so difficult to get your three schedules | 0:01:47 | 0:01:50 | |
all to combine? | 0:01:50 | 0:01:52 | |
It's his fault, because he can't get himself organised. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:54 | |
Is that what it is? | 0:01:54 | 0:01:56 | |
I mean, listen, we all play very different schedules. | 0:01:56 | 0:01:58 | |
Clarkey's tough enough to catch at the best of times - | 0:01:58 | 0:02:00 | |
he moves a lot faster than most people do. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:03 | |
But, no, listen, we're all very busy, as you are, | 0:02:03 | 0:02:06 | |
and we all play kind of different schedules, | 0:02:06 | 0:02:09 | |
so it's tough to give up some time, | 0:02:09 | 0:02:11 | |
but we like you a lot, so that's why we managed to make some time. | 0:02:11 | 0:02:14 | |
Speak for yourself, there. | 0:02:14 | 0:02:16 | |
I appreciate you all coming together. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:18 | |
I know you're all under a lot of pressure. | 0:02:18 | 0:02:19 | |
But let's sort out one thing first, | 0:02:19 | 0:02:22 | |
what is the pecking order in seniority? | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
Is it you because you're the oldest? | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
-Don't use words like "senior" around Darren. -They're not far off. | 0:02:27 | 0:02:31 | |
-They're not far off. -Or is it you because you want the first major? | 0:02:31 | 0:02:36 | |
I don't know. Or is it Rory cos he's got about 20 years left | 0:02:36 | 0:02:40 | |
and he'll probably win about 10 of them, you know, so... | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
There is no pecking order. | 0:02:43 | 0:02:44 | |
I think there's an argument for all three. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
But we're just very, very happy that we've all got one, | 0:02:47 | 0:02:51 | |
and hoping for some more. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:52 | |
When all three of you get together, and that is a rare occasion, | 0:02:52 | 0:02:55 | |
do you feel, Rory, like a special bond between the three, | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
because of what you've achieved for golf and for Northern Ireland? | 0:02:58 | 0:03:01 | |
I don't even think it's because of what we've achieved. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:04 | |
Obviously, it's been great, what we've done on the golf course, | 0:03:04 | 0:03:09 | |
but I think just the relationship we have. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
You know, I've known Darren since I was 10 years old, 11 years old, | 0:03:12 | 0:03:16 | |
and, G-Mac, he really showed me the ropes when I came out here | 0:03:16 | 0:03:21 | |
on tour, so I've got a very special relationship with these two guys | 0:03:21 | 0:03:25 | |
and it goes beyond just the success that we've had on the golf course. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:30 | |
It helps that we're all from the same part of the world. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:32 | |
And I think that's what brings us together more. | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
Seeing Graeme win the US Open at Pebble Beach inspired me | 0:03:36 | 0:03:40 | |
to think that I can go on and achieve great things | 0:03:40 | 0:03:43 | |
on the golf course like he did in 2010. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:47 | |
And I think what I did in '11 | 0:03:47 | 0:03:49 | |
obviously inspired Darren to go and... | 0:03:49 | 0:03:51 | |
Well, I think inspired Darren to go and do what he did at St George's. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:56 | |
I think that's what happened. | 0:03:56 | 0:03:57 | |
Obviously, I felt extremely proud, | 0:03:57 | 0:04:01 | |
like we all did, with G-Mac and Rory winning their majors, | 0:04:01 | 0:04:06 | |
and, as they've both said, | 0:04:06 | 0:04:08 | |
I've known them both for a very long time, because I am old, | 0:04:08 | 0:04:11 | |
and it's been great to see them, | 0:04:11 | 0:04:13 | |
both of them, develop and get better and better and better | 0:04:13 | 0:04:16 | |
and I don't think either of them have really reached their prime yet. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:20 | |
I'm sure they've got a lot more majors between the two of them. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:24 | |
But it's been great to be a little part of history from home. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:31 | |
The reason we've obviously brought all three of you together | 0:04:31 | 0:04:34 | |
is because of your major success | 0:04:34 | 0:04:37 | |
and we reflect on that remarkable period now | 0:04:37 | 0:04:39 | |
with the help of another golfer from Northern Ireland, | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
himself a major star in his own right, | 0:04:42 | 0:04:45 | |
he's got his own television show in America. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:49 | |
I'm 10 years older than Darren, | 0:04:53 | 0:04:55 | |
he's 10 years older than Graeme, who is 10 years older than Rory. | 0:04:55 | 0:05:00 | |
So spot the odd man out. | 0:05:00 | 0:05:02 | |
You know, we have such a small population. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
To turn out three major champions | 0:05:09 | 0:05:11 | |
and just really be ambassadors for Northern Ireland, | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
it makes me so proud, I can't tell you. | 0:05:15 | 0:05:17 | |
The three of them together are the most remarkable trio. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:21 | |
It's a phenomenon. | 0:05:21 | 0:05:22 | |
We're better at poetry and at music and literature, in general, | 0:05:24 | 0:05:30 | |
perhaps golf is a combination of all of those. | 0:05:30 | 0:05:34 | |
-COMMENTATOR: -Just one little putt left here. | 0:05:34 | 0:05:38 | |
to grab the United States Open. | 0:05:38 | 0:05:40 | |
And Graeme McDowell's dream has come true. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:47 | |
From Northern Ireland, he's a US Open Champion at Pebble Beach. | 0:05:47 | 0:05:51 | |
I've been here 20 years, but I haven't forgotten where I'm from. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:55 | |
I'll go with 'McDoh-ell' over here and people say, "What are you doing? | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
"That's 'McDow-ell'." | 0:05:58 | 0:05:59 | |
No, no, it isn't. No, it's not. It's 'McDoh-ell'. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:02 | |
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the champion | 0:06:04 | 0:06:07 | |
of the 110th United States Open, Graeme McDowell. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:11 | |
You know, Graeme is such a competitor. | 0:06:11 | 0:06:15 | |
Rory is kind of in a similar mode. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:17 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:06:19 | 0:06:23 | |
If Rory plays well, boy, it's good luck to everybody else. | 0:06:23 | 0:06:26 | |
He doesn't act like a superstar. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:32 | |
He's grounded, from Holywood Golf Club, | 0:06:32 | 0:06:34 | |
where I was the assistant pro 19 years before the little bugger | 0:06:34 | 0:06:37 | |
was born, which is just depressing, to be honest with you. | 0:06:37 | 0:06:41 | |
It's difficult to be Darren Clarke, when you come to a golf tournament, | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
because he doesn't intimidate people at all. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:46 | |
He's approachable, he's warm, he's fuzzy, | 0:06:46 | 0:06:48 | |
he is who you actually think he is. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:50 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
That's a rare thing in today's world of super athletes. | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
You don't think of Darren as a super athlete, sometimes. | 0:06:56 | 0:07:00 | |
Sometimes he is when he's a little skinnier and sometimes not so much. | 0:07:00 | 0:07:04 | |
He's one of the most beloved players, | 0:07:04 | 0:07:07 | |
I think, on both sides of the Atlantic. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:09 | |
He's hugely popular here in the United States. | 0:07:09 | 0:07:13 | |
CHEERING | 0:07:13 | 0:07:16 | |
"Super athlete." | 0:07:16 | 0:07:17 | |
That was then. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:21 | |
It's a little bit different now. Look at it! | 0:07:21 | 0:07:23 | |
Why did you decide to lose a lot of weight? | 0:07:23 | 0:07:26 | |
Because I was too fat, basically. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:28 | |
Too fat and too heavy and I just saw myself on TV and thought, | 0:07:28 | 0:07:31 | |
"This is no good." I had to do something about it. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:35 | |
I started losing a lot of weight and getting a lot stronger, | 0:07:35 | 0:07:39 | |
so I feel much better, I feel much stronger, | 0:07:39 | 0:07:41 | |
the golf ball hasn't realised how I feel just yet, | 0:07:41 | 0:07:44 | |
but, you know, I feel much better in myself. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:46 | |
-So what size is the waste now, then? -Smaller than yours. -No way. | 0:07:46 | 0:07:50 | |
-I'm 34. -Smaller than yours, I'm 32. I am 32. What are you? | 0:07:52 | 0:07:56 | |
Say more than 32, please, go on. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:00 | |
-I'm 33ish, probably. I don't know. -You fat git. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:03 | |
-I know, what can I say? -What about you, Ror? -He's small. -30. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:07 | |
So, technically, we can no longer call you Big Darren. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:11 | |
You can call me many things, lots of people do. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:14 | |
There's always been three versions, you know? | 0:08:14 | 0:08:17 | |
Fat, skinny and medium. | 0:08:17 | 0:08:20 | |
-The wardrobe's bad. -Skinny D. Skinny D. | 0:08:20 | 0:08:23 | |
David Feherty said it's 'McDoh-ell', not 'McDow-ell'. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:27 | |
-What is it for you? -It's whatever they want it to be, really. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:31 | |
It was one of those things, back when I first turned pro, | 0:08:31 | 0:08:36 | |
and my dad used to get a little annoyed about it. | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
"It's 'McDoh-ell', it's 'McDoh-ell'." | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
I said, "Dad, as long as they're saying good things about us, | 0:08:41 | 0:08:43 | |
"I don't really mind what they call us, really." | 0:08:43 | 0:08:45 | |
It's pretty much 'McDow-ell' anywhere else in the world, | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
apart from Northern Ireland, so when I'm home, it's 'McDoh-ell', | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 | |
and when I'm anywhere else... | 0:08:51 | 0:08:53 | |
-It's not even 'McDoh-ell', it's 'MaDoh-ell'. -Exactly. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:55 | |
There's not even a C in there. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:57 | |
When you get right into the countryside there, it becomes... | 0:08:57 | 0:09:00 | |
The C disappears, as well. | 0:09:00 | 0:09:03 | |
So whatever they want to call me, I don't really mind. | 0:09:03 | 0:09:06 | |
Do these two give you a little bit of stick about your accent | 0:09:06 | 0:09:09 | |
-now and again? -Possibly. Allegedly. -Never. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:11 | |
Never. I was just saying, I think Portrush is a little closer | 0:09:11 | 0:09:15 | |
to the United States than Belfast and Dungannon. So that's kind of... | 0:09:15 | 0:09:18 | |
You just mentioned United States, and he's gone right in there! | 0:09:18 | 0:09:22 | |
It's good you can poke fun at yourself. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:25 | |
You know, five, six, seven years later, | 0:09:25 | 0:09:27 | |
I'm sort of getting to grips with | 0:09:27 | 0:09:29 | |
the fact that just comes with the territory. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:31 | |
I'll take it, could be worse. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:33 | |
David Feherty described what you three did as "phenomenal". | 0:09:33 | 0:09:37 | |
How do you reflect on what the three of you did back then, | 0:09:37 | 0:09:41 | |
winning those major championships? | 0:09:41 | 0:09:43 | |
It was... | 0:09:43 | 0:09:44 | |
Honestly, I think, you know, if you even go back... | 0:09:46 | 0:09:49 | |
..further than G-Mac's success and Padraig Harrington in '07 and '08, | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
doing what he did at the Open Championship, at the US PGA, | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
I think that gave a lot of guys belief, also, | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
but then being so close with G-Mac and Darren | 0:10:02 | 0:10:05 | |
and seeing what G-Mac did at Pebble Beach... | 0:10:05 | 0:10:07 | |
And knowing that you take money off me all the time. | 0:10:07 | 0:10:10 | |
And knowing that I beat him in every practice round we play! | 0:10:10 | 0:10:12 | |
"G-Mac's winning US Opens, but I take the money every week! Now, let me think." | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
G-Mac's winning and I'm missing... | 0:10:15 | 0:10:17 | |
I was watching it in my bedroom back in Belfast. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:20 | |
But it's... | 0:10:20 | 0:10:22 | |
it's incredible, especially in that, | 0:10:22 | 0:10:25 | |
I don't know if it's a coincidence that happened | 0:10:25 | 0:10:27 | |
in such a short space of time, | 0:10:27 | 0:10:29 | |
but there is definitely something. We fed off one another, | 0:10:29 | 0:10:33 | |
or it just seemed like it was our time, | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
Northern Ireland's time in golf to shine. | 0:10:36 | 0:10:39 | |
Was it life-changing for you, winning the US Open? | 0:10:39 | 0:10:42 | |
Yeah, I think life changed. Life as I knew it changed. | 0:10:42 | 0:10:45 | |
I think people just know you more. Sponsors take more notice of you. | 0:10:45 | 0:10:50 | |
There's just so much more opportunities around the world. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:53 | |
Life just becomes busier | 0:10:53 | 0:10:55 | |
and it takes a little bit of getting used to, | 0:10:55 | 0:10:56 | |
from a prioritising point of view. | 0:10:56 | 0:10:58 | |
Perhaps myself, maybe more than the two lads. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:01 | |
Rory certainly has been primed for greatness since he was a teenager, | 0:11:01 | 0:11:05 | |
you know, I certainly wasn't a teenage sensation quite like Rory, | 0:11:05 | 0:11:09 | |
so he probably took things a little more in his stride | 0:11:09 | 0:11:12 | |
than perhaps I did. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:14 | |
Darren had had a phenomenal career. | 0:11:14 | 0:11:18 | |
It would have been wrong | 0:11:18 | 0:11:19 | |
if Darren hadn't punched in a major championship to highlight | 0:11:19 | 0:11:23 | |
what had been an amazing career. | 0:11:23 | 0:11:25 | |
In many ways, our three circumstances were very different. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:29 | |
Mine was maybe just a tiny bit more life-changing | 0:11:29 | 0:11:31 | |
than the other two boys, I'd say. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:33 | |
How did you feel when you watched the other two winning | 0:11:33 | 0:11:35 | |
a major championship, having such a good career yourself, | 0:11:35 | 0:11:38 | |
but not being able to get the major over the line? | 0:11:38 | 0:11:42 | |
Whenever I was watching both of them win, it was... | 0:11:42 | 0:11:46 | |
I didn't feel any personal... | 0:11:48 | 0:11:50 | |
I didn't feel anything against myself, | 0:11:50 | 0:11:52 | |
all I felt was a huge sense of pride and joy for these two. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:57 | |
You know, I'd put myself in the position | 0:11:57 | 0:11:59 | |
where I could have won majors before and I didn't manage to do it | 0:11:59 | 0:12:02 | |
and for me to reassess my goals and stuff, | 0:12:02 | 0:12:06 | |
I think we'll all agree that, whatever you do, | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
winning a major's one of those things that we strive towards. | 0:12:09 | 0:12:13 | |
And, when you do do it, you reassess your goals - | 0:12:13 | 0:12:17 | |
what do you want to do? What's next? | 0:12:17 | 0:12:18 | |
You've climbed to the top of the hill, | 0:12:20 | 0:12:22 | |
and where do you go from there? | 0:12:22 | 0:12:23 | |
At their age, it's very easy for them... | 0:12:23 | 0:12:25 | |
I would imagine easier to plot out a course of action. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:28 | |
For me at 42... | 0:12:28 | 0:12:29 | |
You know? And I took a little bit of time to enjoy mine. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:34 | |
-LAUGHTER -Only a little bit of time. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:36 | |
Rude not to. | 0:12:36 | 0:12:38 | |
So, yeah, it's more difficult for me to reassess my goals. | 0:12:38 | 0:12:40 | |
Did you two see the pictures of Darren | 0:12:40 | 0:12:42 | |
-enjoying his celebrations at the Open? -They were there. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
We all got together down the wine bar in Portrush, | 0:12:45 | 0:12:48 | |
-and we had a Guinness-drinking contest. -He won. | 0:12:48 | 0:12:51 | |
-I'm not going to say who won. -He won. -Boom! | 0:12:51 | 0:12:54 | |
-We let him win. We have to let him win. -I didn't let any... | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
I was only a quarter of the way through and you boys had finished. | 0:12:57 | 0:13:00 | |
We're seasoned veterans. | 0:13:00 | 0:13:02 | |
Why do you think homecomings were such an important part | 0:13:02 | 0:13:05 | |
of you all winning major championships? | 0:13:05 | 0:13:07 | |
You all wanted to bring the trophies back home to Northern Ireland. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
Cos we're proud to be from home. We're proud to be from home. | 0:13:10 | 0:13:13 | |
Our little country gets an awful lot of bad PR and media and stuff | 0:13:13 | 0:13:17 | |
around the world. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:20 | |
There's an awful lot of good in Northern Ireland. | 0:13:20 | 0:13:22 | |
We're very proud, the three of us, to come from there. | 0:13:22 | 0:13:26 | |
I think we, all three, come from small golf clubs. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:28 | |
Golf clubs that have supported us from a very young age, | 0:13:28 | 0:13:33 | |
given us the opportunity to play golf. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
You know, really, you know, give us a good clip round the ear | 0:13:36 | 0:13:39 | |
when we were kids and we needed one. | 0:13:39 | 0:13:40 | |
Really supported us through our professional ranks. | 0:13:40 | 0:13:44 | |
Then to achieve something like winning a major championship | 0:13:44 | 0:13:47 | |
and to be able to bring... For me, personally, | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
to be able to bring the US Open trophy home to Portrush | 0:13:49 | 0:13:52 | |
and to Rathmore Golf Club where I was brought up, | 0:13:52 | 0:13:54 | |
it was a very proud moment in my life, | 0:13:54 | 0:13:56 | |
as I'm sure it was for the two boys. | 0:13:56 | 0:13:57 | |
Rory, I'm sure bringing the trophy back home right through your own | 0:13:57 | 0:14:01 | |
front door to hand it to your mum is something you will always remember. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:05 | |
There he is. | 0:14:05 | 0:14:07 | |
CHEERING | 0:14:07 | 0:14:08 | |
Aw! | 0:14:14 | 0:14:16 | |
'It's an incredible feeling, because it's not just an individual effort. | 0:14:19 | 0:14:23 | |
'There's a lot of people around you that worked very hard | 0:14:23 | 0:14:26 | |
'to make it happen. | 0:14:26 | 0:14:28 | |
'We all, I think, have great parents, | 0:14:28 | 0:14:30 | |
'come from very humble backgrounds, beginnings | 0:14:30 | 0:14:35 | |
'and, you know, all three sets of parents worked very hard | 0:14:35 | 0:14:40 | |
'to give us the opportunity to do what we're doing today,' | 0:14:40 | 0:14:44 | |
and what we've been able to achieve. | 0:14:44 | 0:14:46 | |
Darren, likewise with you, bringing the Claret Jug home | 0:14:46 | 0:14:48 | |
and giving it to your two boys is an emotional moment | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
-that you'll never forget. -It was. You were there. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:53 | |
To walk back in and give the two boys the Claret Jug | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
was very emotional. Really emotional because of what those two boys | 0:14:56 | 0:15:01 | |
have been through in their personal lives and stuff. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:04 | |
It's been a very difficult time for them. | 0:15:04 | 0:15:07 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:15:07 | 0:15:09 | |
Well done. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:10 | |
Well done. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:11 | |
'And to try and... | 0:15:14 | 0:15:18 | |
'I don't know, bring some joy into their lives | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
'after what's happened to them, you know,' | 0:15:21 | 0:15:23 | |
it's very special as a parent to be able to do that. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
I'd achieved everything. | 0:15:27 | 0:15:29 | |
They'd seen me not play very well for a long period of time. | 0:15:29 | 0:15:33 | |
Then to actually do it, I felt, "Well, Dad's done OK here." I was... | 0:15:33 | 0:15:38 | |
It was just a really, really special moment for me with the two boys. | 0:15:38 | 0:15:43 | |
With tears in my eyes, it was one of those special moments. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
I'm sure you can relate to that obviously, Graeme, | 0:15:47 | 0:15:50 | |
in seeing those pictures of Darren bringing the Claret Jug back home. | 0:15:50 | 0:15:54 | |
Yeah, it's a special moment when you get to spend that with your family. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:58 | |
My mum was on the beach in Spain... | 0:15:58 | 0:16:00 | |
when I won the US Open. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:01 | |
She didn't quite grasp what all the fuss was about back in Portrush. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:05 | |
-That was Spain not... -AMERICAN TWANG: -"Spain." | 0:16:05 | 0:16:07 | |
That was Spain. | 0:16:07 | 0:16:08 | |
Say Spain. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:09 | |
"Spain" is... | 0:16:09 | 0:16:11 | |
I think there's subtitles for anyone watching. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:15 | |
I apologise. | 0:16:15 | 0:16:16 | |
That place there down south of France. | 0:16:16 | 0:16:19 | |
The hot place where they say "Como esta?" That place. | 0:16:19 | 0:16:23 | |
She was on the beach. | 0:16:23 | 0:16:24 | |
-Your Spanish accent's all right too. -Not bad. | 0:16:24 | 0:16:27 | |
Bit of an American twang to the Spanish one as well, a little bit. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:30 | |
-But, anyway. -More Mexican. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:32 | |
Go on, carry on. Sorry for interrupting. Go on. | 0:16:32 | 0:16:34 | |
She was in Spain. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:37 | |
She was in... She was on the beach. Give over. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:40 | |
She was on the beach, didn't realise what all the fuss was about. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:44 | |
I'd won a few events before. What's so special about this one? | 0:16:44 | 0:16:48 | |
Didn't realise it was a major. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:49 | |
So that was my mum's naive innocence kicking in there. | 0:16:49 | 0:16:53 | |
But I think myself and Rory, to win the US Open... | 0:16:53 | 0:16:56 | |
US Open - Sunday's always Fathers' Day. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:59 | |
I know Rory got to experience that with his dad. | 0:16:59 | 0:17:02 | |
I got to experience the same thing. | 0:17:02 | 0:17:03 | |
To have my dad there to win the US Open on Pebble Beach | 0:17:03 | 0:17:07 | |
on Fathers' Day. To share that moment with him... | 0:17:07 | 0:17:10 | |
It's one of those moments as a son that's pretty irreplaceable. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:14 | |
A bit special. | 0:17:14 | 0:17:16 | |
You're some kid! | 0:17:16 | 0:17:17 | |
You're some kid. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:20 | |
You're some kid. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:24 | |
But, of course, the Irish golfer who started it all, | 0:17:27 | 0:17:30 | |
as you mentioned, is Padraig Harrington. | 0:17:30 | 0:17:32 | |
He won three majors in just over a year. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
PADRAIG: 'There's no doubt there's no experience | 0:17:38 | 0:17:40 | |
'like winning your first major.' | 0:17:40 | 0:17:42 | |
-COMMENTATOR: -It's there. | 0:17:42 | 0:17:44 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 0:17:44 | 0:17:46 | |
'You sit back and you dream of winning a major championship. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:48 | |
'You hit all the golf shots. Nothing goes wrong, you swing the club great. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:53 | |
'I think when I won in 2007 and 2008,' | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
other players had a better feel for what it took to win a major. | 0:17:56 | 0:18:01 | |
At the time, Tiger was winning a lot of majors | 0:18:01 | 0:18:03 | |
and we all put him up there on a pedestal. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:07 | |
It was like he was different. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:08 | |
Nobody could relate to Tiger's wins. | 0:18:08 | 0:18:10 | |
They could relate to me winning. They could see... | 0:18:10 | 0:18:12 | |
"Well, hang on a second, he got it done. | 0:18:12 | 0:18:15 | |
"When I play well I can play as well as Harrington or beat Harrington," | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
so that gives everybody confidence. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:22 | |
You've got to make it tangible. | 0:18:22 | 0:18:24 | |
And that's the shot of the week. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:26 | |
I'm coming off the back of my three wins in 2008. Graeme wins in 2010. | 0:18:26 | 0:18:31 | |
It was like, "Wow this happens all the time." | 0:18:31 | 0:18:34 | |
All of a sudden, Rory wins in 2011. Then Darren backs it up. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:37 | |
I don't know why it exactly happened at that time. | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
I would say that golf in Ireland, | 0:18:40 | 0:18:42 | |
we've a great competition in Ireland, great competitive scene in Ireland. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:46 | |
You see it now, huge amount of international players | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
coming to Ireland to play all our championships. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
I don't think there's as competitive a place as Ireland for golf. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:55 | |
PHOTOGRAPHER: Take your hand out your pocket. | 0:18:55 | 0:18:57 | |
I don't really know what to do with my hands. | 0:18:57 | 0:18:59 | |
We've got to put Rory out there maybe on a different scheme of things. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:06 | |
He was destined from a child to go out there and win majors. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
But maybe myself, Graeme and Darren helped to push it on. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:14 | |
There will be another generation that come along. | 0:19:17 | 0:19:19 | |
If they can win majors, it will perpetuate it | 0:19:19 | 0:19:21 | |
further and further down the line. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:23 | |
But if you're the number one Irish sprinter, | 0:19:23 | 0:19:25 | |
it doesn't mean you're going to win the Olympic gold medal. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:27 | |
Whereas if you're the number one Irish golfer, | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
it does mean you're capable of winning a major. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:31 | |
We've created a situation that gives belief to all those kids growing up - | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
if you play golf and you excel in Ireland, | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
that's good enough to excel around the world. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:41 | |
To win one major is an achievement. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:43 | |
To win three in that space of time is incredible. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:47 | |
Padraig at that stage was very mentally strong. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:50 | |
He didn't rip it on to every green. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:53 | |
He used his short game, he used his mind. | 0:19:53 | 0:19:56 | |
To achieve what he's achieved in that period of time | 0:19:56 | 0:19:59 | |
really is an incredible performance. | 0:19:59 | 0:20:01 | |
Literally, you know, when people ask me | 0:20:01 | 0:20:03 | |
what's in the water in Northern Ireland, | 0:20:03 | 0:20:05 | |
why do you have three major champions from Northern Ireland, | 0:20:05 | 0:20:07 | |
why does Padraig Harrington win three majors? | 0:20:07 | 0:20:09 | |
It's such a small country of Ireland. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:11 | |
Even smaller in Northern Ireland. Why? | 0:20:11 | 0:20:14 | |
-Cos we're very normal, ordinary sort of people. -And the game... | 0:20:14 | 0:20:18 | |
Golf is very accessible. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:20 | |
Golf's affordable and accessible unlike Asia, America. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:23 | |
It's an accessible game. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
The memberships of golf clubs welcome junior kids. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:29 | |
We're the result of that. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:30 | |
Is it the quality of the golf courses as well, | 0:20:30 | 0:20:32 | |
in Northern Ireland, that has helped the success too? | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
Quality, it's the variety. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
Kids growing up being able to play in different conditions. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:41 | |
Links courses, parkland courses. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:43 | |
Wet, windy weather most of the time, but sunny weather sometimes too. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:49 | |
Getting that experience around the country definitely helps as well. | 0:20:49 | 0:20:53 | |
All of your success has obviously brought you significant wealth. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
Between you on the European Tour alone, | 0:20:57 | 0:20:59 | |
you've amassed prize money of almost £50 million. | 0:20:59 | 0:21:03 | |
Sometimes when you hear those figures, | 0:21:03 | 0:21:05 | |
do you have to pinch yourselves? | 0:21:05 | 0:21:07 | |
It's like lottery-winning numbers for everybody else. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:10 | |
Is that 48 for Rory and one each for me and Darren? | 0:21:10 | 0:21:13 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:21:13 | 0:21:15 | |
Rory should really answer that question. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
Clarkey's spent most of his. I've still got a few quid left. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:24 | |
Rory's got a few. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:25 | |
It is. Look, whenever... | 0:21:27 | 0:21:28 | |
I think whenever you aspire to become a professional golfer | 0:21:28 | 0:21:31 | |
and you aspire... | 0:21:31 | 0:21:33 | |
I never held a putt on the putting green at Holywood Golf Club | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
to win a million dollars or to win... | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
I held a putt on the putting green to win the Masters | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
or to win the Open or to win a major. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
To beat Darren Clarke or to beat Tiger Woods or whatever it was. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:46 | |
It was never about the money. | 0:21:46 | 0:21:48 | |
The money's nice, and we're able to live a very comfortable lifestyle. | 0:21:48 | 0:21:53 | |
But, at the end of the day, it's about titles, | 0:21:56 | 0:21:58 | |
it's about trophies, it's about creating history. | 0:21:58 | 0:22:02 | |
It's about whenever people remember you, | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
remembering you for not just the great golfer you were, | 0:22:05 | 0:22:08 | |
but what impact you've had on your sport. | 0:22:08 | 0:22:13 | |
What impact you've had on others as well. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:16 | |
It is. It's mind-boggling figures whenever you think about it. | 0:22:17 | 0:22:20 | |
Especially when you think about, as we said before, | 0:22:20 | 0:22:22 | |
the humble backgrounds and beginnings that we came from. | 0:22:22 | 0:22:26 | |
It's also nice to be able to treat your family or to give back | 0:22:28 | 0:22:32 | |
to people that need it more than you do as well. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:35 | |
The money's great, but, at the end of the day, | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
it's definitely not what it's about. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:41 | |
As you say, Graeme, it's hard to spend that amount of money. | 0:22:41 | 0:22:43 | |
-No, it's not. -LAUGHTER | 0:22:43 | 0:22:45 | |
Darren's giving it a good go. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:47 | |
I always remember coming home on the school bus down at Gateside Road, | 0:22:47 | 0:22:50 | |
had my head pressed against the window driving by Clarkey's... | 0:22:50 | 0:22:54 | |
-The old house. -Yeah, yeah. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:56 | |
"What car's he got this week? Yellow M3. Oh! | 0:22:56 | 0:22:59 | |
"I want one of those." That was me in school. | 0:22:59 | 0:23:01 | |
-That was a good car, that one. -That was good. I remember that one. | 0:23:01 | 0:23:04 | |
It was all right, that one. | 0:23:04 | 0:23:05 | |
Run us through some of the cars you've bought... | 0:23:05 | 0:23:07 | |
-No, too many. -Go on. -No, too many. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:08 | |
Too foolish, too stupid, too many. But they were all great. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
I just have had a few hobbies and a few passions. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
Foolishly, the cars were some of them. But I've calmed down now. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:21 | |
I'm all right. | 0:23:21 | 0:23:22 | |
You two are season ticket holders at Manchester United, correct? | 0:23:22 | 0:23:25 | |
Yes. DARREN CLEARS HIS THROAT | 0:23:25 | 0:23:26 | |
-You are... -The proper team. We're the proper team. -Liverpool. | 0:23:26 | 0:23:30 | |
Do you ever get the chance to use them? | 0:23:30 | 0:23:31 | |
I went once last year. I went to United - West Brom. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:36 | |
United were beaten 2-1. I was... | 0:23:36 | 0:23:38 | |
They were beaten frequently last year. | 0:23:38 | 0:23:39 | |
They were beaten frequently. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:41 | |
-You could have went to a lot of games last year. -Yes, I know. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:43 | |
I plan to use them more. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
It's great to have them | 0:23:45 | 0:23:46 | |
because friends and family get great use out of them. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
They love to go over to games and spend weekends in Manchester, | 0:23:49 | 0:23:52 | |
but I definitely have to get to a few more. | 0:23:52 | 0:23:55 | |
I'm a bit the same, | 0:23:55 | 0:23:56 | |
some of my friends have used my season ticket as well, | 0:23:56 | 0:23:59 | |
but I didn't get last year at all. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:01 | |
-But the tickets are always used. -Maybe that's why they did so well! | 0:24:01 | 0:24:05 | |
Possibly. I could be a jinx. Stay away! | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
The one thing money obviously can't buy you is anonymity. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:12 | |
What is it like living life in a goldfish bowl? | 0:24:12 | 0:24:17 | |
-Em... -Tough. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:19 | |
It's difficult at times and what has made it more difficult | 0:24:19 | 0:24:24 | |
is with mobile phones, believe it or not, cameras everywhere. | 0:24:24 | 0:24:28 | |
You know, there is social media, all that sort of stuff. | 0:24:28 | 0:24:30 | |
You used to have, before these guys were on tour, | 0:24:30 | 0:24:32 | |
you used to have a certain amount of, you know, | 0:24:32 | 0:24:34 | |
if you want to have your downtime, your downtime is your downtime. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
Most of the time, we are in the public eye and we are supposed to | 0:24:37 | 0:24:41 | |
behave in a certain way when we're in the public eye, but people... | 0:24:41 | 0:24:44 | |
You know, we are just like... Just because we play golf | 0:24:44 | 0:24:46 | |
doesn't mean we're any different to anybody else | 0:24:46 | 0:24:48 | |
and we need to switch off at times, | 0:24:48 | 0:24:50 | |
but that's a very difficult thing to do | 0:24:50 | 0:24:52 | |
when people may take an inappropriate picture. | 0:24:52 | 0:24:56 | |
Not when you're doing anything wrong, but just, you know, | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
"There's Rory having a drink, | 0:24:59 | 0:25:01 | |
"there's Rory in his shorts and T-shirt | 0:25:01 | 0:25:03 | |
"and G-Mac is out doing this, he is out doing that." | 0:25:03 | 0:25:05 | |
Sooner or later, you're going to become pretty guarded | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
and you're going to want to have your own time | 0:25:08 | 0:25:10 | |
is your own time because we are in the public eye all the time | 0:25:10 | 0:25:13 | |
whenever we do what we do. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:14 | |
Every single person now is a media outlet, | 0:25:14 | 0:25:17 | |
whether it be because they have a Facebook or a Twitter | 0:25:17 | 0:25:19 | |
or an Instagram, or whatever it is, so... | 0:25:19 | 0:25:22 | |
You always have that shield up at times, even when, you know, | 0:25:22 | 0:25:27 | |
you should be enjoying your time with your friends or your family, | 0:25:27 | 0:25:30 | |
you just always have that guard up, just because you know if you do... | 0:25:30 | 0:25:36 | |
If you misstep the slightest bit or you just put a foot wrong | 0:25:36 | 0:25:40 | |
or you do something that people won't like, you know, | 0:25:40 | 0:25:43 | |
it's going to get pounced on, you're going to get criticised for it. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:46 | |
You know, the advice that my mum and dad always give me is be yourself. | 0:25:46 | 0:25:50 | |
You know, be yourself and be happy. You know, and if you can do that... | 0:25:50 | 0:25:53 | |
You know, if you just live your life the way you want to live it | 0:25:53 | 0:25:56 | |
and people can say and write what they think, but... | 0:25:56 | 0:25:58 | |
That's true, but you're always judged all the time. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
You are judged, you are judged and it takes a very strong person, | 0:26:01 | 0:26:04 | |
mentally strong person... | 0:26:04 | 0:26:06 | |
You need thick skin as well because you start to read what everyone | 0:26:06 | 0:26:10 | |
writes about you and you start to read some of the comments, you can... | 0:26:10 | 0:26:14 | |
You can get... You get sensitive pretty quickly, but it's part of... | 0:26:14 | 0:26:19 | |
It's part of what we do. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
I guess it is more a part of my life because of some of the... | 0:26:21 | 0:26:26 | |
decisions I've made off the course, but at the end of the day, | 0:26:26 | 0:26:30 | |
you know, I just try and live my life the way I want to | 0:26:30 | 0:26:34 | |
and, you know, the way that makes me happy. | 0:26:34 | 0:26:37 | |
Like Rory said, anybody that writes a message on Twitter, you know, | 0:26:37 | 0:26:40 | |
it's an instant headline, you know. | 0:26:40 | 0:26:42 | |
Any picture of us can instantly be in the papers the very next day. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:47 | |
You know, that just comes with the territory and we have to | 0:26:47 | 0:26:50 | |
try and embrace it as much as we can to a certain extent | 0:26:50 | 0:26:53 | |
and you know, try to live our life off the golf course | 0:26:53 | 0:26:56 | |
and keep it to ourselves as much as we can. | 0:26:56 | 0:26:58 | |
All three of you obviously | 0:26:58 | 0:26:59 | |
rewarded very richly for your golfing success, | 0:26:59 | 0:27:01 | |
but all three of you have all wanted to give something back. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:05 | |
We travelled to Portugal | 0:27:05 | 0:27:07 | |
to see how you are helping the best young talent in Ireland. | 0:27:07 | 0:27:10 | |
Nice shot. | 0:27:15 | 0:27:16 | |
Good eye. | 0:27:16 | 0:27:18 | |
Good shot. | 0:27:21 | 0:27:22 | |
'It's a wonderful trait that Darren has. He's a giver. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:27 | |
'He's a giver, not a taker and he's extremely generous.' | 0:27:27 | 0:27:30 | |
He said to me that he wanted to give something back to Irish golf, | 0:27:30 | 0:27:34 | |
to Irish junior golf and he wanted to see younger kids playing golf | 0:27:34 | 0:27:38 | |
who might not otherwise get the chance to play. | 0:27:38 | 0:27:41 | |
You know, all of the really talented kids | 0:27:41 | 0:27:43 | |
who have come through the foundation, | 0:27:43 | 0:27:46 | |
they all have Darren's phone number | 0:27:46 | 0:27:48 | |
and they become his friend and he becomes their friend | 0:27:48 | 0:27:51 | |
and he has that warm, easy personality that makes that easy. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:55 | |
What he does within the foundation is extremely important to... | 0:27:56 | 0:28:01 | |
to try and nurture talent, to try and uncover talent, | 0:28:01 | 0:28:05 | |
to try and enhance talent. | 0:28:05 | 0:28:07 | |
But he doesn't need any praise or legacy for that. He loves doing it. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:13 | |
Good shot, well done. | 0:28:13 | 0:28:16 | |
Very nice. Good four. | 0:28:16 | 0:28:17 | |
'I think it's very easy | 0:28:19 | 0:28:22 | |
'to forget how fortunate we are for what we do.' | 0:28:22 | 0:28:25 | |
Half my foundation is for developing junior golf in Ireland, | 0:28:25 | 0:28:29 | |
trying to get into schools for kids seven, eight, nine years old, | 0:28:29 | 0:28:32 | |
to get them interested in the game. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:34 | |
And then the other half is for raising money for breast cancer, | 0:28:34 | 0:28:39 | |
for obvious reasons and stuff, but... | 0:28:39 | 0:28:42 | |
Was that obviously very important to you as well because your... | 0:28:42 | 0:28:46 | |
-your wife Heather passed away? -Yeah, exactly. | 0:28:46 | 0:28:48 | |
It is important to me because... It's... It's... | 0:28:48 | 0:28:53 | |
There is a cure there somewhere, they just haven't found it yet, | 0:28:53 | 0:28:56 | |
so if I can help put the goal along a little bit, | 0:28:56 | 0:28:58 | |
that would help somebody else not find themselves | 0:28:58 | 0:29:01 | |
in the position that I found myself in with two young kids, | 0:29:01 | 0:29:04 | |
then that would be great, that would make a difference. | 0:29:04 | 0:29:07 | |
But the foundation thing with the golf | 0:29:07 | 0:29:09 | |
is all about trying to find the next G-Mac, | 0:29:09 | 0:29:11 | |
or trying to find the next Rory. | 0:29:11 | 0:29:13 | |
I'm a product of Darren's foundation as well. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:15 | |
-Do you remember coming through the foundation? -Yes. | 0:29:15 | 0:29:17 | |
I remember the weekends down at Portmarnock | 0:29:17 | 0:29:20 | |
and I remember wanting to win the Ulster Boys' | 0:29:20 | 0:29:22 | |
or the Irish Boys' or the Connaught Boys', | 0:29:22 | 0:29:24 | |
just to get on that weekend to go down and spend the weekend with... | 0:29:24 | 0:29:27 | |
And then he won about a dozen or 15 or 18 or something! | 0:29:27 | 0:29:30 | |
But it was always a highlight of my year to go | 0:29:30 | 0:29:33 | |
and get to spend a bit of time with Darren | 0:29:33 | 0:29:34 | |
and play at Portmarnock and just go down for the weekend, you know? | 0:29:34 | 0:29:38 | |
It was a real thrill for me and, you know, as Darren said, | 0:29:38 | 0:29:41 | |
to be able to, you know, develop junior golf in Ireland | 0:29:41 | 0:29:44 | |
and give back a little bit is... You know, that's what it's all about. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:49 | |
And, Graeme and Rory, you both have very much concentrated | 0:29:49 | 0:29:52 | |
your charity efforts on sick children's charities. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:55 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 0:29:56 | 0:29:59 | |
Come on, I'll fight you. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:07 | |
They're all cardiac patients, the little guys, | 0:30:09 | 0:30:12 | |
the little girls, who have had very aggressive surgery, | 0:30:12 | 0:30:15 | |
have been under treatment since they were born. | 0:30:15 | 0:30:17 | |
'They are there with their families today. For... | 0:30:19 | 0:30:21 | |
'For a lot of them, it's their first family holiday.' | 0:30:21 | 0:30:24 | |
Did you get to see Mickey Mouse yet? | 0:30:24 | 0:30:26 | |
'We've been working with Graeme for over three years now.' | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
He is a very, very well-known character. | 0:30:29 | 0:30:31 | |
He can loosen up lots of wallets, open lots of doors | 0:30:31 | 0:30:33 | |
and we've raised over one and a half million dollars with his help. | 0:30:33 | 0:30:36 | |
That's gone directly to build a brand-new cardiac ward, | 0:30:36 | 0:30:39 | |
the Children's Heart Centre in Crumlin Hospital. | 0:30:39 | 0:30:41 | |
You know, he's helped provide magical moments here | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
and he's helped provide the very, very best infrastructure back home | 0:30:44 | 0:30:48 | |
where they can be treated. | 0:30:48 | 0:30:50 | |
I think Graeme really gets it. This isn't... This is beyond charity. | 0:30:50 | 0:30:54 | |
Graeme had this vision and this picture | 0:30:54 | 0:30:56 | |
and it's just wonderful to see the humanity of the man. | 0:30:56 | 0:30:59 | |
# We all fall down. # | 0:30:59 | 0:31:02 | |
I wanted to raise money, I wanted | 0:31:02 | 0:31:04 | |
to do something real and something tangible | 0:31:04 | 0:31:06 | |
and something that I could actually see some results from. | 0:31:06 | 0:31:10 | |
I got a chance to visit Crumlin | 0:31:10 | 0:31:12 | |
and have a look at the facilities there | 0:31:12 | 0:31:14 | |
and just see how bad they were. | 0:31:14 | 0:31:16 | |
You know, meet these incredible nurses and people and surgeons | 0:31:16 | 0:31:20 | |
and just see the young kids that come through there. | 0:31:20 | 0:31:23 | |
The cardiac unit at Crumlin | 0:31:23 | 0:31:24 | |
is the number-one cardiac unit in the whole of Ireland, | 0:31:24 | 0:31:27 | |
so kids born north or south of the border with heart defects | 0:31:27 | 0:31:31 | |
will end up in Crumlin at some point in their sick lives. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:34 | |
You know, as soon as I found out about that, | 0:31:34 | 0:31:36 | |
I mean, that was really what I wanted to concentrate my efforts on | 0:31:36 | 0:31:39 | |
and, you know, we did a few dinners and a few bits and pieces | 0:31:39 | 0:31:42 | |
and raised over 2 million, the last three years, for Crumlin. | 0:31:42 | 0:31:45 | |
You know, you meet kids that just touch your life and... | 0:31:45 | 0:31:49 | |
it's pretty special and I think the three of us feel very connected | 0:31:49 | 0:31:53 | |
and very, very motivated to use our connections | 0:31:53 | 0:31:56 | |
and our, you know, our influence to be able to raise money | 0:31:56 | 0:31:59 | |
and make an impact in the world because, like Darren said, | 0:31:59 | 0:32:02 | |
we are very fortunate to do what we do. | 0:32:02 | 0:32:04 | |
Rory, why have you decided to give £1 million | 0:32:04 | 0:32:07 | |
-to a local charity in Northern Ireland? -Yeah. | 0:32:07 | 0:32:11 | |
You know, you guys went with me to the respite centre | 0:32:11 | 0:32:14 | |
there in Newcastle for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund For Children, | 0:32:14 | 0:32:19 | |
just to see the great work that they do and, you know, | 0:32:19 | 0:32:24 | |
'they have put a lot of money and a lot of effort into trying to | 0:32:24 | 0:32:28 | |
'build the centre, not just for the kids, but for their families as well. | 0:32:28 | 0:32:32 | |
'Somewhere where they can come and, you know, enjoy themselves | 0:32:32 | 0:32:36 | |
'and get away from, you know, the stress of their daily lives.' | 0:32:36 | 0:32:42 | |
-Thank you very much. -Brilliant! -Can I open it now or will I save it? | 0:32:42 | 0:32:45 | |
'It really, you know, it hit home with me and it really touched me, | 0:32:45 | 0:32:50 | |
'seeing how much of a difference it made to these families' lives | 0:32:50 | 0:32:54 | |
'and they needed a little bit of help just to, you know, | 0:32:54 | 0:32:57 | |
'to get the thing finished and...' | 0:32:57 | 0:33:00 | |
You know, I was... | 0:33:00 | 0:33:02 | |
You know, with what I saw on Christmas Eve there, | 0:33:02 | 0:33:05 | |
visiting the kids, | 0:33:05 | 0:33:06 | |
I just thought it was a great thing to do and, you know, | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
very fortunate to be able to do it, to help so many people like that | 0:33:09 | 0:33:14 | |
and I wanted to concentrate first that... | 0:33:14 | 0:33:17 | |
You know, doing things at home because I'm from Northern Ireland, | 0:33:17 | 0:33:21 | |
feeling the connection to there, it's just great to be able to do it, | 0:33:21 | 0:33:26 | |
it's great to be able to give back | 0:33:26 | 0:33:29 | |
and, you know, to be able to concentrate it, | 0:33:29 | 0:33:32 | |
you know, at home first is something that was very important to me. | 0:33:32 | 0:33:36 | |
The one player who has dominated golf | 0:33:36 | 0:33:38 | |
through all of your three generations | 0:33:38 | 0:33:40 | |
is, of course, Tiger Woods. | 0:33:40 | 0:33:41 | |
We travelled to Turkey to get his thoughts | 0:33:41 | 0:33:44 | |
on your fantastic golfing success. | 0:33:44 | 0:33:46 | |
WOODS: 'The game of golf is growing worldwide. It certainly has. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
'With the inclusion of golf in the Olympics, I think it's just taken off | 0:33:51 | 0:33:56 | |
'and it's just amazing to see the amount of junior golfers | 0:33:56 | 0:34:00 | |
'and how many of them are just good. | 0:34:00 | 0:34:04 | |
'They've got such great swings.' | 0:34:04 | 0:34:07 | |
That's the next wave of kids that are coming | 0:34:07 | 0:34:09 | |
and yes, it won't be long before you start seeing other places | 0:34:09 | 0:34:13 | |
around the world, you know, | 0:34:13 | 0:34:16 | |
that are going to get more involved in the game of golf. | 0:34:16 | 0:34:18 | |
Winning majors is obviously something | 0:34:18 | 0:34:20 | |
which has given you the most satisfaction. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:22 | |
How much did you enjoy watching your good friend Darren Clarke | 0:34:22 | 0:34:25 | |
-win his one major? -Oh, man, it was incredible. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:27 | |
It was incredible because, you know, | 0:34:27 | 0:34:30 | |
after what he went through with Heather | 0:34:30 | 0:34:33 | |
and to go through all that, | 0:34:33 | 0:34:36 | |
it's tough, it was tough being a single parent | 0:34:36 | 0:34:39 | |
and trying to explain to his boys, you know, what's going on. | 0:34:39 | 0:34:44 | |
It was a very difficult time, | 0:34:44 | 0:34:47 | |
he fought through it and came out on the right side | 0:34:47 | 0:34:51 | |
and to see him play well, not just in the Open Championship | 0:34:51 | 0:34:56 | |
but he played well under very difficult conditions in that Open. | 0:34:56 | 0:35:00 | |
It was rainy, it was windy, it was tough | 0:35:00 | 0:35:03 | |
and he hung in there and outplayed everybody. | 0:35:03 | 0:35:07 | |
His major win was the third major win for a golfer | 0:35:07 | 0:35:10 | |
from Northern Ireland in a very short space of time, | 0:35:10 | 0:35:13 | |
a population of just a couple of million people. | 0:35:13 | 0:35:16 | |
What did you make of that success for somewhere so small? | 0:35:16 | 0:35:19 | |
Yeah, you have, you know, what G-Mac, Rory and obviously Darren, | 0:35:19 | 0:35:24 | |
erm, I think it's just, I think if you grow up playing links golf, | 0:35:24 | 0:35:29 | |
it does help quite a bit because you have to understand shot making. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:33 | |
You've got to be able to manoeuvre the golf ball | 0:35:33 | 0:35:36 | |
and kids who don't get a chance to travel around the world | 0:35:36 | 0:35:39 | |
and play different shots, everything's an airborne game, | 0:35:39 | 0:35:43 | |
especially in the States, everything's up in the air. | 0:35:43 | 0:35:45 | |
That's one of the reasons why I enjoy playing around the world | 0:35:45 | 0:35:48 | |
cos I play differently around the world. | 0:35:48 | 0:35:50 | |
You have to adapt your different styles to the golf courses | 0:35:50 | 0:35:54 | |
so I think those guys certainly have an advantage to be able to play | 0:35:54 | 0:35:59 | |
and learn how to shape shots, take two clubs more, chip it, | 0:35:59 | 0:36:04 | |
different flights, different feels | 0:36:04 | 0:36:06 | |
and I think that lends itself to you developing as a player faster. | 0:36:06 | 0:36:11 | |
Finally, the Open Championship is set to go back to Northern Ireland | 0:36:11 | 0:36:15 | |
for just the second time in its history. | 0:36:15 | 0:36:17 | |
How would you welcome that news | 0:36:17 | 0:36:18 | |
and how much would you love to win an Open in Ireland? | 0:36:18 | 0:36:21 | |
-Yeah, I would. What course are they playing? -Royal Portrush. | 0:36:22 | 0:36:26 | |
I think as far north as I've ever been is Royal County Down so | 0:36:26 | 0:36:30 | |
Darren would certainly have an advantage there because that's where | 0:36:30 | 0:36:33 | |
he grew up so I think it would be, it would be pretty incredible. | 0:36:33 | 0:36:37 | |
How do you three view the Open coming home to Northern Ireland? | 0:36:37 | 0:36:42 | |
It's incredible. It's something... | 0:36:42 | 0:36:44 | |
I'm older than these two | 0:36:44 | 0:36:46 | |
so I've experienced the Troubles at home for a few more years | 0:36:46 | 0:36:49 | |
than these two have and to think through all the bad times. | 0:36:49 | 0:36:52 | |
I grew up in Dungannon, right in the middle of a lot of the stuff | 0:36:52 | 0:36:57 | |
that was going on and to think... | 0:36:57 | 0:36:59 | |
..at this stage that we're going to have the biggest sporting event | 0:37:00 | 0:37:05 | |
that's ever going to come to Northern Ireland | 0:37:05 | 0:37:08 | |
coming to Royal Portrush | 0:37:08 | 0:37:10 | |
which is one of the best courses in the world, thinking about that now | 0:37:10 | 0:37:13 | |
compared to what it was like all those years ago | 0:37:13 | 0:37:16 | |
and people at home will obviously identify what I'm speaking about. | 0:37:16 | 0:37:20 | |
To come from the Dark Ages which we were in not too many years ago | 0:37:20 | 0:37:24 | |
to where we are now is an incredible achievement | 0:37:24 | 0:37:26 | |
for all those people involved. | 0:37:26 | 0:37:27 | |
A good time, I suppose, to remember Northern Ireland's other | 0:37:27 | 0:37:30 | |
major champion, Fred Daly, who was from Portrush, of course. | 0:37:30 | 0:37:33 | |
-I'm sure you played in Fred Daly competitions. -We all did, yeah. | 0:37:33 | 0:37:37 | |
-We all did. -Yeah, we all did. | 0:37:37 | 0:37:39 | |
Yeah, I mean, it's like Darren said, you know, | 0:37:39 | 0:37:42 | |
it really is just a result of everything that's happened, | 0:37:42 | 0:37:45 | |
you know, with the peace processes | 0:37:45 | 0:37:48 | |
and really from a golfing point of view, | 0:37:48 | 0:37:50 | |
what's gone on in Northern Ireland with the three of us. | 0:37:50 | 0:37:53 | |
It's a special time, it's, you know, | 0:37:53 | 0:37:55 | |
it got kind of frustrating 10, 15 years ago meeting tourists, | 0:37:55 | 0:37:59 | |
golfing tourists from all over the world who'd tell me | 0:37:59 | 0:38:01 | |
about their golfing exploits in Ireland | 0:38:01 | 0:38:03 | |
and so little did they mention the north of Ireland... | 0:38:03 | 0:38:06 | |
They were scared. | 0:38:06 | 0:38:07 | |
Exactly, I mean, such a stigma attached to Northern Ireland | 0:38:07 | 0:38:10 | |
and I think we've all experienced that in some shape or form | 0:38:10 | 0:38:14 | |
and, you know, for everything that's gone on in the country politically, | 0:38:14 | 0:38:17 | |
religiously, just from a peace point of view, you know, | 0:38:17 | 0:38:21 | |
to really galvanise that with the Open Championship coming, | 0:38:21 | 0:38:24 | |
it's just a big boost for the whole of the country of Ireland, | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
you know, financially, economically, emotionally, you know, | 0:38:28 | 0:38:31 | |
it's just a special thing for everyone. | 0:38:31 | 0:38:33 | |
What about a Northern Ireland Open winner in Northern Ireland? | 0:38:33 | 0:38:37 | |
Don't think you could ask for anything more, could you? | 0:38:37 | 0:38:39 | |
No, you couldn't. You couldn't. | 0:38:39 | 0:38:41 | |
And you never know, it mightn't even be one of us. | 0:38:41 | 0:38:43 | |
It could be someone that's coming up through the ranks at the minute, | 0:38:43 | 0:38:47 | |
-someone that's... -Darren's... -..16, 17, 18 years old. | 0:38:47 | 0:38:50 | |
And obviously the news that the Open's coming to Portrush | 0:38:50 | 0:38:54 | |
is going to inspire so many kids in Northern Ireland | 0:38:54 | 0:38:57 | |
to want to become, you know, better players and want to play, | 0:38:57 | 0:39:00 | |
you know, in an Open Championship at home. | 0:39:00 | 0:39:03 | |
I just think of how many kids it's going to inspire to come | 0:39:03 | 0:39:06 | |
and watch you and you up at the Open Championship at Portrush, | 0:39:06 | 0:39:09 | |
how many kids are going to see these two play and think, | 0:39:09 | 0:39:11 | |
"Oh, I'm going to have a go at that game. | 0:39:11 | 0:39:13 | |
"I'm going to take that up." | 0:39:13 | 0:39:15 | |
And the whole thing just builds and builds and builds. | 0:39:15 | 0:39:18 | |
And it was tough to get you three together | 0:39:18 | 0:39:20 | |
but it was almost as difficult to get | 0:39:20 | 0:39:22 | |
a Clarke, McDowell, McIlroy fathers combination together. | 0:39:22 | 0:39:25 | |
If you had done it in a pub, | 0:39:25 | 0:39:27 | |
you'd probably have got the three of them together very easily. | 0:39:27 | 0:39:30 | |
-If you said it was on the BBC tab. -Yeah, free bar they'd have gone! | 0:39:30 | 0:39:33 | |
Oh, no, it's perfect. | 0:39:36 | 0:39:38 | |
Kenny and I are very friendly because obviously with Kenny | 0:39:49 | 0:39:52 | |
living in Portrush and we're in Bushmills that, you know, | 0:39:52 | 0:39:55 | |
we see one another fairly regular. We play golf together | 0:39:55 | 0:39:58 | |
and weekends we spend together at houses or go out for a meal. | 0:39:58 | 0:40:01 | |
Gerry, I haven't seen him for a while | 0:40:01 | 0:40:03 | |
so it was nice to meet up with Gerry again. | 0:40:03 | 0:40:06 | |
I've known him a long time, | 0:40:06 | 0:40:07 | |
to get out and play a few holes with him, it's a bit of fun. | 0:40:07 | 0:40:11 | |
There is some nights we'd sit back and put the old videos on | 0:40:13 | 0:40:17 | |
and you get some laugh like about Rory, you know, growing up. | 0:40:17 | 0:40:22 | |
-Well done. -Good putt. | 0:40:22 | 0:40:24 | |
I remember an interview with him when he was nine or ten and I asked him | 0:40:24 | 0:40:27 | |
what he would like to do and he rhymed off all the majors and | 0:40:27 | 0:40:30 | |
you sit back and you look at it now and his dream's coming true. | 0:40:30 | 0:40:34 | |
Look at that, eh? Middle strike. | 0:40:36 | 0:40:38 | |
-Look at that, there. Eh? -Middle strike! | 0:40:38 | 0:40:41 | |
On the early days at the pitch and putt, | 0:40:41 | 0:40:43 | |
they were there all day, every day. | 0:40:43 | 0:40:46 | |
You couldn't keep him away from the place. | 0:40:46 | 0:40:48 | |
He played with anybody that would have him. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
We all had to make sacrifices | 0:40:51 | 0:40:52 | |
but at the end of the day we've been repaid in full and maybe a bit more. | 0:40:52 | 0:40:56 | |
You had to take them to all the different tournaments, | 0:40:56 | 0:40:58 | |
down to Middle Ireland and wherever they had to go, | 0:40:58 | 0:41:00 | |
I had an old red Cavalier | 0:41:00 | 0:41:02 | |
and it could have went up and down that road itself. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
In my case, I had to take on extra jobs, try and get the money. | 0:41:04 | 0:41:09 | |
Godfrey did the same for Darren. | 0:41:09 | 0:41:11 | |
Gerry did the same for Rory so it just has to be done. | 0:41:11 | 0:41:14 | |
'You had to give them a chance, if you didn't give them a chance | 0:41:16 | 0:41:19 | |
'to, sort of, go to the top level, you'd regret it later on.' | 0:41:19 | 0:41:24 | |
Wrong line, too hard, apart from that, it was a good putt. | 0:41:24 | 0:41:27 | |
'I think any parent if their, you know, child has any talent, | 0:41:27 | 0:41:31 | |
'try and put the effort in. | 0:41:31 | 0:41:33 | |
'Rory worked hard, we're lucky now because we're living the dream.' | 0:41:33 | 0:41:38 | |
'They all get on great, though. I was going to say that earlier.' | 0:41:42 | 0:41:46 | |
My mum and dad and Rory's mum and dad and G-Mac's mum and dad, | 0:41:46 | 0:41:50 | |
they all get on great. They all sit there. They go on... | 0:41:50 | 0:41:54 | |
-My mum and dad and your mum and dad are out every weekend. -They are. | 0:41:54 | 0:41:58 | |
Rocking around Portrush. | 0:41:58 | 0:41:59 | |
If my mum and dad didn't have to travel so far, | 0:41:59 | 0:42:02 | |
they'd be up there too. | 0:42:02 | 0:42:03 | |
But I think because they all know, | 0:42:03 | 0:42:09 | |
each one of them knows what they've had to sacrifice for, to give us | 0:42:09 | 0:42:13 | |
the opportunity to do what we have to do. | 0:42:13 | 0:42:15 | |
-I think that's the big bond between them too. -Yeah. | 0:42:15 | 0:42:17 | |
They genuinely get on really, really well with each other. | 0:42:17 | 0:42:20 | |
-It's amazing. -What have you been able to do for them? | 0:42:20 | 0:42:22 | |
They made so many sacrifices for all of you when you were growing up. | 0:42:22 | 0:42:26 | |
They're able to do whatever they want, basically, | 0:42:26 | 0:42:29 | |
and that's the way it should be. | 0:42:29 | 0:42:31 | |
You know, they worked for 20 years really, really hard. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:35 | |
I mean, my mum worked night shifts for 15 years | 0:42:35 | 0:42:38 | |
and my dad worked three jobs at one point, you know, | 0:42:38 | 0:42:40 | |
just to be able to let me play golf, to fund my junior career | 0:42:40 | 0:42:46 | |
and, you know, it could have all amounted to nothing. | 0:42:46 | 0:42:48 | |
You know, I could've said at 18, "You know what? | 0:42:48 | 0:42:50 | |
"I want to go to university and, you know, take another career path." | 0:42:50 | 0:42:54 | |
-They would've... -You need grades for that, though. | 0:42:54 | 0:42:57 | |
I need brains for that! | 0:42:57 | 0:42:59 | |
Did you stay at school or did you not? | 0:42:59 | 0:43:01 | |
-What age did you stay at school until? -12. No! | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
-16, Darren, 16. -What age did you stay until? | 0:43:04 | 0:43:07 | |
He went to a few chipping lessons, | 0:43:07 | 0:43:08 | |
I wouldn't say he went to many maths lessons. | 0:43:08 | 0:43:11 | |
Yeah, but your dad did say that your mum and him often get the | 0:43:11 | 0:43:16 | |
old VHS out and have a good laugh at some of the old archive footage. | 0:43:16 | 0:43:20 | |
-Do you? -I don't. -All of you? | 0:43:20 | 0:43:23 | |
I mean, it's nice to... | 0:43:23 | 0:43:27 | |
I mean, it is nice to reminisce | 0:43:27 | 0:43:28 | |
and if I was to get a tape out or an old DVD or whatever, it would've... | 0:43:28 | 0:43:34 | |
I've got videos of me taking lessons with Michael Bannon | 0:43:34 | 0:43:38 | |
when I was eight or nine years old and seeing how I swung it back then | 0:43:38 | 0:43:41 | |
but, you know, how I swing it now, | 0:43:41 | 0:43:43 | |
it's great to look back at that old, you know, that old footage | 0:43:43 | 0:43:47 | |
and go on and playing in the Junior World Championships at 11 | 0:43:47 | 0:43:50 | |
and 12 and going back and looking at that sort of stuff | 0:43:50 | 0:43:54 | |
and it's nice to be able to do it but I'm sure my mum and dad | 0:43:54 | 0:43:58 | |
like to get those tapes out over a couple of vodka and Diet Cokes | 0:43:58 | 0:44:01 | |
and have a chuckle to themselves. | 0:44:01 | 0:44:03 | |
How do you two look back at some of the old archive | 0:44:03 | 0:44:05 | |
-and the old hairstyles and the old outfits? -Cringe. Cringe. | 0:44:05 | 0:44:09 | |
I'd say Clarkey, you've been through more... | 0:44:09 | 0:44:12 | |
-I've been through more hairdressers. -..more re-models. | 0:44:12 | 0:44:14 | |
-Yeah, more hairdressers than I've had hot dinners. -Yeah. | 0:44:14 | 0:44:17 | |
I think we've all had our dodgy sort of fashion days. | 0:44:17 | 0:44:20 | |
We've all had dodgy barnets, it has to be said. | 0:44:20 | 0:44:22 | |
I have to say Clarkey's been responsible for a couple of mine. | 0:44:22 | 0:44:25 | |
-Couple of tailors and a couple of bits and pieces... -Oh, yeah. | 0:44:25 | 0:44:28 | |
Do you remember him? Tony, yeah, oh. Exactly. | 0:44:28 | 0:44:31 | |
-We thought he was nice at the time. -There were a few dodgy outfits. | 0:44:31 | 0:44:33 | |
There's a great photo of Clarkey in Baltray clubhouse... | 0:44:33 | 0:44:38 | |
-With that vile old jumper on? -With the bright blond hair. | 0:44:38 | 0:44:42 | |
-Oh, yeah. -The blond mullet. -Yeah. -The blond mullet. | 0:44:42 | 0:44:44 | |
-Blond mullet, that was a good one. -Not that I'm one to talk about hair. | 0:44:44 | 0:44:47 | |
-With a Pringle on. -Yeah. | 0:44:47 | 0:44:49 | |
-Rory can't really give you stick about... -No... | 0:44:49 | 0:44:52 | |
-My next line was, I don't think you should be talking about barnets. -No. | 0:44:52 | 0:44:55 | |
I don't think that's really a way we should be going forward. | 0:44:55 | 0:44:58 | |
-You haven't called me Coco yet. -Not yet, no. Not yet. | 0:44:58 | 0:45:00 | |
That was a bottom drawer one, in case it was needed. | 0:45:00 | 0:45:02 | |
There's actually a great photo of you at the French Open | 0:45:02 | 0:45:05 | |
down at the locker room and it's a full barnet. It's a full 'fro. | 0:45:05 | 0:45:09 | |
But, listen, the barnet, it hasn't changed much | 0:45:09 | 0:45:11 | |
from you were years ago. | 0:45:11 | 0:45:13 | |
I mean, the style really hasn't changed, has it? It's similar. | 0:45:13 | 0:45:16 | |
-It's similar but it's toned down now. -The product's a bit better. | 0:45:16 | 0:45:20 | |
It's a bit more under control. Bit like my golf game. | 0:45:20 | 0:45:23 | |
Bit more under control. | 0:45:23 | 0:45:24 | |
So who's the snappiest dresser? You? Graeme? | 0:45:24 | 0:45:27 | |
You've your own clothing line. | 0:45:27 | 0:45:29 | |
Listen, you know, it's pretty tough to keep up with DC's wardrobe. | 0:45:29 | 0:45:32 | |
It's, I mean, you know, | 0:45:32 | 0:45:35 | |
there's more Italian designers in there than Milan. | 0:45:35 | 0:45:39 | |
Family is obviously very important to you all | 0:45:39 | 0:45:42 | |
and looking after your families. | 0:45:42 | 0:45:43 | |
Your own families, I would imagine, now take great priority, | 0:45:43 | 0:45:47 | |
-especially your boys, Darren... -Mm-hm. | 0:45:47 | 0:45:49 | |
-..are two lovely golfers themselves. -Yeah, they are. Tyrone and Conor. | 0:45:49 | 0:45:52 | |
They're both coming on and playing a lot but they're two good kids, | 0:45:52 | 0:45:56 | |
you know, I'm very proud of them. | 0:45:56 | 0:45:58 | |
I'm a very proud dad. | 0:45:58 | 0:45:59 | |
As we touched on earlier, | 0:45:59 | 0:46:01 | |
what they've been through in their own personal lives | 0:46:01 | 0:46:04 | |
but from having moved back home from England | 0:46:04 | 0:46:06 | |
where Tyrone had been boarding for a couple of years, | 0:46:06 | 0:46:08 | |
Conor was about to start boarding cos there was no other options | 0:46:08 | 0:46:12 | |
over there and I hated it because I couldn't get to see them even | 0:46:12 | 0:46:15 | |
when I was having a week off, | 0:46:15 | 0:46:16 | |
I would see maybe Tyrone for ten minutes in the evening and stuff | 0:46:16 | 0:46:19 | |
and it just wasn't my thing. | 0:46:19 | 0:46:20 | |
Moving back home in the summer | 0:46:20 | 0:46:22 | |
when it starts getting lighter in the evening, they get home, | 0:46:22 | 0:46:25 | |
do their homework or go down to the golf club and play a few holes | 0:46:25 | 0:46:28 | |
and they just love living where we live now | 0:46:28 | 0:46:32 | |
and being just normal day boys going to school | 0:46:32 | 0:46:34 | |
and getting back home again and, you know, | 0:46:34 | 0:46:36 | |
they're both mad keen about their golf and they both enjoy it. | 0:46:36 | 0:46:39 | |
Two different, totally different characters. | 0:46:39 | 0:46:42 | |
Alison has to look after them whenever I'm away a lot | 0:46:42 | 0:46:47 | |
but Tyrone is as good as gold and polite and mannerly. | 0:46:47 | 0:46:49 | |
Conor's got the polite manner and apart from that, | 0:46:49 | 0:46:52 | |
he's a complete nutter half the time so and, you know, | 0:46:52 | 0:46:54 | |
they think the world of these two, | 0:46:54 | 0:46:56 | |
they're always watching what's going on. | 0:46:56 | 0:46:58 | |
They've both got hats and stuff signed by both of them | 0:46:58 | 0:47:01 | |
-in their bedrooms. -They might be the snappiest dressers. -Yeah. | 0:47:01 | 0:47:03 | |
They love their Loudmouth, Clarkey. | 0:47:03 | 0:47:05 | |
But they do, they talk about these two all the time | 0:47:05 | 0:47:08 | |
whenever they're at home and stuff so, no, I'm very lucky. | 0:47:08 | 0:47:13 | |
I feel very fortunate that my two boys... | 0:47:13 | 0:47:16 | |
I'm a proud dad with a great wife as well at home. | 0:47:16 | 0:47:20 | |
I know years gone by, Graeme, you told me | 0:47:20 | 0:47:23 | |
that being a professional golfer was more a single man's sport. | 0:47:23 | 0:47:27 | |
How have you had to readjust by getting married | 0:47:27 | 0:47:29 | |
and a family of your own now as well? | 0:47:29 | 0:47:32 | |
Yeah, life's certainly moved fast the last few years. | 0:47:32 | 0:47:35 | |
There's no doubt sort of my 20s, late 20s, early 30s, | 0:47:35 | 0:47:38 | |
you know, it is a job which is not conducive to relationships, | 0:47:38 | 0:47:43 | |
you know, which we've all experienced. | 0:47:43 | 0:47:45 | |
It's hard and, you know, we spend a lot of time away from home | 0:47:45 | 0:47:50 | |
and, you know, I'm looking forward to raising my own children. | 0:47:50 | 0:47:53 | |
Darren's experienced that and it is tough being away from home, | 0:47:53 | 0:47:57 | |
you know, luckily I met the right woman the last few years and... | 0:47:57 | 0:48:01 | |
I thought you were going to say the last time there | 0:48:01 | 0:48:04 | |
so good job you didn't say that! | 0:48:04 | 0:48:05 | |
I'm sure she'll be watching this so, I mean... | 0:48:05 | 0:48:08 | |
No, I'm very excited about the next chapter of my life, you know? | 0:48:08 | 0:48:12 | |
And I'll certainly be taking a few tips from this man, you know, | 0:48:12 | 0:48:15 | |
as far as being a great dad | 0:48:15 | 0:48:17 | |
and I'm very, very excited about the next stage of my life, | 0:48:17 | 0:48:21 | |
you know, there's no doubt priorities have changed. | 0:48:21 | 0:48:24 | |
Family's first and golf's second for sure and, you know, | 0:48:24 | 0:48:27 | |
I feel very good about that | 0:48:27 | 0:48:29 | |
and in many ways I've probably never been, I've never been happier | 0:48:29 | 0:48:33 | |
than I am right now, regards just feeling personally really satisfied | 0:48:33 | 0:48:36 | |
and very excited about what's going on off the golf course | 0:48:36 | 0:48:40 | |
and, you know, Mum and Dad will look forward to spending much more time | 0:48:40 | 0:48:45 | |
in Florida with the grandchildren and it's good times. | 0:48:45 | 0:48:48 | |
Excited. | 0:48:48 | 0:48:49 | |
And I suppose, Rory, unlike these two, you're an eligible bachelor. | 0:48:49 | 0:48:52 | |
-Ireland's most eligible bachelor. -Oh, yeah, that's the one. | 0:48:52 | 0:48:55 | |
It seems so, yeah. | 0:48:55 | 0:48:58 | |
Yeah, I'm taking a leaf out of G-Mac's book | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
and saying that golf is a single man's... | 0:49:00 | 0:49:03 | |
But, yeah, | 0:49:03 | 0:49:06 | |
I'm at the stage in my career | 0:49:06 | 0:49:09 | |
and the stage in my life where I'm really putting golf first | 0:49:09 | 0:49:12 | |
and, you know, golf is a priority for me right now | 0:49:12 | 0:49:15 | |
and, you know, for the foreseeable future that's what it's going to be. | 0:49:15 | 0:49:21 | |
We travel so much, we're never really in the same place for very long | 0:49:21 | 0:49:25 | |
so, you know, it is hard to keep relationships going | 0:49:25 | 0:49:30 | |
if you want to start one or whatever it is. | 0:49:30 | 0:49:33 | |
So golf is my girlfriend at the minute | 0:49:33 | 0:49:35 | |
and it's going to be that way for a while. | 0:49:35 | 0:49:37 | |
You going to be putting his phone number on the screen? | 0:49:37 | 0:49:39 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:49:39 | 0:49:42 | |
-I think there might be meltdown. -Possibly. | 0:49:42 | 0:49:44 | |
Aside from all your major success, the three of you have also won | 0:49:44 | 0:49:48 | |
the other biggest golf tournament, the Ryder Cup. | 0:49:48 | 0:49:51 | |
In fact, Irish golfers down through the years have had | 0:49:51 | 0:49:54 | |
unprecedented success in the global event. | 0:49:54 | 0:49:57 | |
Here are some of those magical moments. | 0:49:57 | 0:49:59 | |
COMMENTATOR: Christy O'Connor, second to the 18th. | 0:50:01 | 0:50:03 | |
He's got the right club. Oh-ho-ho-ho. | 0:50:10 | 0:50:12 | |
It's a good one. It's good. It's nearly in the hole. | 0:50:21 | 0:50:23 | |
It's right up by the hole. It's all over. Jay Haas has conceded. | 0:50:23 | 0:50:27 | |
Philip Walton has won the Ryder Cup back for Europe. | 0:50:27 | 0:50:30 | |
Obviously the putt was the icing on the cake. | 0:50:42 | 0:50:44 | |
To be in that situation and to hit as good a putt as I could hit | 0:50:44 | 0:50:48 | |
at the right precise moment in time was special. | 0:50:48 | 0:50:51 | |
I feel fortunate for that. | 0:50:51 | 0:50:52 | |
A great memory of the celebrations afterwards. | 0:50:55 | 0:50:58 | |
I think a lot of it is where we come from. | 0:50:58 | 0:51:01 | |
The Irish are very proud of their sport, we all know that. | 0:51:01 | 0:51:03 | |
That was special, but it was a great week. | 0:51:03 | 0:51:06 | |
A very emotional week, obviously. A great week to be involved in. | 0:51:06 | 0:51:09 | |
It was obviously a tough time with Heather passing | 0:51:13 | 0:51:15 | |
just before the Ryder Cup. | 0:51:15 | 0:51:17 | |
Then Darren playing and the way he played. | 0:51:17 | 0:51:19 | |
It was great to have myself, Padraig and Darren on the team, | 0:51:21 | 0:51:23 | |
25% of the team being Irish playing in our home country - special. | 0:51:23 | 0:51:27 | |
He's a catalyst for all young kids to be involved. | 0:51:38 | 0:51:40 | |
He's young, he's boyish, he's got that boyish enthusiasm about him. | 0:51:40 | 0:51:44 | |
Young kids want to gravitate to be a Rory McIlroy. | 0:51:44 | 0:51:46 | |
We all need role models in life. | 0:51:46 | 0:51:47 | |
What a moment, what a putt. | 0:51:55 | 0:51:56 | |
Graeme as well too. | 0:51:56 | 0:51:57 | |
Graeme's been a real war horse | 0:51:57 | 0:51:59 | |
and a real steadying influence over the last decade or so of Ryder Cups. | 0:51:59 | 0:52:04 | |
He's been a big part of the successes we've had. | 0:52:04 | 0:52:07 | |
It's Ryder Cup year. | 0:52:11 | 0:52:12 | |
Are you excited about you two hopefully playing together? | 0:52:12 | 0:52:16 | |
Yeah, I think we'd certainly love to reignite that Ryder Cup partnership. | 0:52:16 | 0:52:20 | |
There's normally a queue out the door to play with Rory | 0:52:20 | 0:52:23 | |
in the Ryder Cup, so I've been lucky enough to do it a few times. | 0:52:23 | 0:52:27 | |
Obviously Ryder Cups are something that are very special to us. | 0:52:27 | 0:52:31 | |
-How many Ryder Cups did you play, DC? Four, five? -Five. | 0:52:31 | 0:52:33 | |
They're just the most special, special golf tournaments. | 0:52:33 | 0:52:36 | |
To play in Scotland... I watched this man play in Ireland in '06. | 0:52:36 | 0:52:40 | |
Obviously the circumstances were kind of a little out there, | 0:52:40 | 0:52:45 | |
but it was an extremely emotional tournament. | 0:52:45 | 0:52:47 | |
Should the man sitting to both of your right, | 0:52:47 | 0:52:50 | |
should he be the next Ryder Cup captain? | 0:52:50 | 0:52:53 | |
-I think he might be. -That's not up to... | 0:52:53 | 0:52:55 | |
It's up to the committee to vote for that. | 0:52:55 | 0:52:58 | |
Ah, there's a bit of player power in there too, DC. | 0:52:58 | 0:53:03 | |
-A fairly large possibility. -There is. | 0:53:03 | 0:53:04 | |
I think for a Ryder Cup in the States, Darren is... | 0:53:04 | 0:53:08 | |
I don't think there's any better candidate from the European side. | 0:53:08 | 0:53:11 | |
He's absolutely loved over there. | 0:53:11 | 0:53:14 | |
-They think he's a nice guy, don't they? -They do. | 0:53:14 | 0:53:16 | |
They don't know him, that's why. LAUGHTER | 0:53:16 | 0:53:19 | |
No, but... Hugely popular in the US. | 0:53:22 | 0:53:26 | |
They love the whole cigar smoking... | 0:53:26 | 0:53:28 | |
I don't know if you're still doing that. | 0:53:28 | 0:53:30 | |
-Yeah, yeah, all those silly, bad things. -Exactly. | 0:53:30 | 0:53:32 | |
But they love it, you know? | 0:53:32 | 0:53:35 | |
He'll be just as well received in the US | 0:53:35 | 0:53:38 | |
as probably the US captain will be. | 0:53:38 | 0:53:40 | |
So it can only be an advantage for the European team | 0:53:40 | 0:53:43 | |
if Darren was to lead us out in the States. | 0:53:43 | 0:53:46 | |
What's next for you three? | 0:53:46 | 0:53:48 | |
What are your ambitions now in the game of golf? | 0:53:48 | 0:53:51 | |
Obviously the one that was just mentioned there | 0:53:53 | 0:53:55 | |
would be a great honour for me to do that. | 0:53:55 | 0:53:58 | |
I've had a, I would say, reasonably good career. | 0:53:58 | 0:54:02 | |
I feel personally I should have won more tournaments than I did, | 0:54:02 | 0:54:05 | |
but I was too busy having too good a time along the ride. | 0:54:05 | 0:54:09 | |
But, you know, I'm pretty pleased. I want to keep on playing. | 0:54:09 | 0:54:14 | |
As we touched on earlier, my golf hasn't been that good, | 0:54:14 | 0:54:17 | |
but, you know, I'm still determined and still fighting on, | 0:54:17 | 0:54:21 | |
still practising on. I want to keep on playing. | 0:54:21 | 0:54:23 | |
I want to be out here watching these two keeping on winning tournaments. | 0:54:23 | 0:54:26 | |
The bigger the better. | 0:54:26 | 0:54:28 | |
I've no doubt that they will keep putting themselves | 0:54:28 | 0:54:31 | |
right in there in majors. | 0:54:31 | 0:54:32 | |
You know, it's only a matter of getting the right break | 0:54:32 | 0:54:35 | |
at the right time for them to win more. | 0:54:35 | 0:54:36 | |
That's always the case, isn't it? | 0:54:36 | 0:54:38 | |
When it comes to majors, there's that back nine on a Sunday. | 0:54:38 | 0:54:40 | |
The difference between winning one | 0:54:40 | 0:54:42 | |
and not winning one is a lip-out putt or a lip-in putt. | 0:54:42 | 0:54:45 | |
It can bounce here or it can bounce there. | 0:54:45 | 0:54:47 | |
Like your second shot on 9 at St George's. | 0:54:47 | 0:54:49 | |
Stuff like that, stuff happens. | 0:54:49 | 0:54:51 | |
That makes a difference, but I have no doubt that these two | 0:54:51 | 0:54:54 | |
will continue doing Northern Ireland proud. | 0:54:54 | 0:54:56 | |
Do you think you'll continue to play the game of golf | 0:54:56 | 0:54:58 | |
as long as Darren has now | 0:54:58 | 0:55:01 | |
or will the buzz and the excitement have gone out of it by then? | 0:55:01 | 0:55:04 | |
I couldn't imagine him on TV with that grey barnet looking... | 0:55:04 | 0:55:07 | |
It would be a bit scary. | 0:55:09 | 0:55:11 | |
It's funny. When I started my career... | 0:55:11 | 0:55:13 | |
(There's a few grey hairs there.) | 0:55:13 | 0:55:15 | |
There is a few greys, yes. LAUGHTER | 0:55:15 | 0:55:17 | |
I am Gerry's son, by the way. | 0:55:17 | 0:55:19 | |
I am Gerry's son, so there's a few in there. | 0:55:19 | 0:55:22 | |
When I started my professional career at 18, I said, | 0:55:22 | 0:55:27 | |
"There's no way I'm going to go past 40. | 0:55:27 | 0:55:30 | |
"22 years on Tour, that's enough." | 0:55:30 | 0:55:33 | |
Now, I'm like, "45". Maybe in a few years, "I'll go to 50." | 0:55:33 | 0:55:38 | |
-I don't think you ever lose that... -The will to win. -Competitiveness. | 0:55:38 | 0:55:42 | |
You'll be the same, you'll want to play cos you'll want to win. | 0:55:42 | 0:55:45 | |
I'm thinking the same thing right now. I'm thinking 43, 45. | 0:55:45 | 0:55:49 | |
I'd like to watch my kids grow up. But it's all... It's a drug for us. | 0:55:49 | 0:55:53 | |
Being out there and competing - the adrenaline and the focus | 0:55:53 | 0:55:56 | |
and just the will to win is like a drug for all sportsmen. | 0:55:56 | 0:55:59 | |
I don't think any of the three of us will ever want to give that up. | 0:55:59 | 0:56:02 | |
You learn to... When you learn to win... | 0:56:02 | 0:56:06 | |
It's different for guys who have been on Tour for a long time | 0:56:06 | 0:56:09 | |
and haven't won tournaments, | 0:56:09 | 0:56:11 | |
but these two have won loads of tournaments, I've won a few myself. | 0:56:11 | 0:56:15 | |
When you learn to win early, when you win tournaments... | 0:56:15 | 0:56:18 | |
-You know what it feels like. -..you know what it feels like. | 0:56:18 | 0:56:21 | |
Winning that, it is like a drug, isn't it? | 0:56:21 | 0:56:23 | |
Whenever you win a tournament, it's something that you want more of. | 0:56:23 | 0:56:26 | |
That's why they'll probably end up playing a little longer | 0:56:26 | 0:56:28 | |
than they think. | 0:56:28 | 0:56:29 | |
But the thing as well, like, I don't know about these two guys, | 0:56:29 | 0:56:32 | |
but, personally, I'm not very... | 0:56:32 | 0:56:34 | |
Like, I wouldn't call myself a competitive person. | 0:56:34 | 0:56:36 | |
I don't mind losing at a game of cards or a game of whatever. | 0:56:36 | 0:56:40 | |
But golf is my vehicle to be competitive, | 0:56:40 | 0:56:44 | |
to be able to win at something. | 0:56:44 | 0:56:46 | |
Whether that means that I'll... | 0:56:48 | 0:56:51 | |
-He's a good loser. -LAUGHTER | 0:56:51 | 0:56:53 | |
Not! | 0:56:53 | 0:56:54 | |
Whether that means being competitive past the age of 50 | 0:56:54 | 0:56:58 | |
or up until 50, the great thing about golf is | 0:56:58 | 0:57:03 | |
we can play until whenever, | 0:57:03 | 0:57:05 | |
touch wood, being healthy, we can play until we want. | 0:57:05 | 0:57:11 | |
That's the beauty about this game that we play. | 0:57:11 | 0:57:15 | |
If you hadn't been a golfer, what would you have been? | 0:57:15 | 0:57:18 | |
Something probably involved with speed. | 0:57:20 | 0:57:23 | |
I have a bit of a need for speed. | 0:57:23 | 0:57:25 | |
I was going to be a mechanical engineer of some description, so... | 0:57:25 | 0:57:28 | |
I was going to go into golf club R&D engineering. | 0:57:28 | 0:57:32 | |
That's what I thought I wanted to do. | 0:57:32 | 0:57:34 | |
-Rory? -A virgin. | 0:57:34 | 0:57:37 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:57:37 | 0:57:38 | |
You're not that good looking. | 0:57:38 | 0:57:41 | |
-What would I have been? -We'll edit that out. -Yeah. | 0:57:41 | 0:57:43 | |
Honestly, I don't know. We were joking about earlier. | 0:57:46 | 0:57:49 | |
I left school when I was 16. | 0:57:49 | 0:57:51 | |
Golf was always what I wanted to do. | 0:57:51 | 0:57:53 | |
Outside of golf, what are you most proud of? | 0:57:53 | 0:57:55 | |
My two boys. | 0:57:57 | 0:57:58 | |
Yeah, I mean, I've got to say my family, really. | 0:58:02 | 0:58:04 | |
Um... | 0:58:06 | 0:58:07 | |
probably my charitable efforts, being able to give back. | 0:58:07 | 0:58:10 | |
Finally, Padraig Harrington bet me £20 | 0:58:10 | 0:58:14 | |
that we could never get the three of you | 0:58:14 | 0:58:17 | |
in the room at the same time. | 0:58:17 | 0:58:19 | |
-Who is going to collect the money? -You are going to go and collect it. | 0:58:19 | 0:58:22 | |
And you're going to make sure we do it. | 0:58:22 | 0:58:23 | |
-We'll get you on to the range tomorrow. -You collect it. | 0:58:23 | 0:58:26 | |
-We'll take you over to him. -Thank you very much indeed. | 0:58:26 | 0:58:28 | |
Let's hope for lots more majors in the future. | 0:58:28 | 0:58:30 | |
The future of Northern Ireland golf is in great hands with these two. | 0:58:30 | 0:58:33 |