Major Champions


Major Champions

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-COMMENTATOR:

-The ball disappears and it's official -

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Rory McIlroy is an Open Champion.

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It's been a remarkable last four years

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for Northern Ireland's trio of golfing stars.

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-COMMENTATOR:

-And Graeme McDowell's dream has come true.

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Open Champion. Congratulations, Darren Clarke.

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They've had unprecedented success,

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capturing six of the sport's most prestigious titles.

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Most recently, this summer, Rory McIlroy two major tournaments

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in a row, to become the number one player in the world.

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Because of their hectic schedule and jet-set lifestyle,

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few thought it possible the three would ever come together

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for a major interview.

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If you can get the three lads in the room at the one time, scheduled,

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and they all turn up on time. No, actually, if they turn up full stop,

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that's good enough.

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But they did.

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-Am I first here?

-Yes.

-Am I?!

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-Can I be Clarkey?

-Yes.

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I just want to make sure he wasn't coming in a suit.

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You know what he's like.

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Everybody here?

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He's here!

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-You said... You said...you weren't going to wear a jacket.

-First here.

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Three major champions, together for the first time.

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Darren, Graeme, Rory, at last we have managed to get

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the three of you in the same room at the same time.

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Three major champions together for some major conversation.

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Graeme, why is it so difficult to get your three schedules

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all to combine?

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It's his fault, because he can't get himself organised.

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Is that what it is?

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I mean, listen, we all play very different schedules.

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Clarkey's tough enough to catch at the best of times -

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he moves a lot faster than most people do.

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But, no, listen, we're all very busy, as you are,

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and we all play kind of different schedules,

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so it's tough to give up some time,

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but we like you a lot, so that's why we managed to make some time.

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Speak for yourself, there.

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I appreciate you all coming together.

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I know you're all under a lot of pressure.

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But let's sort out one thing first,

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what is the pecking order in seniority?

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Is it you because you're the oldest?

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-Don't use words like "senior" around Darren.

-They're not far off.

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-They're not far off.

-Or is it you because you want the first major?

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I don't know. Or is it Rory cos he's got about 20 years left

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and he'll probably win about 10 of them, you know, so...

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There is no pecking order.

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I think there's an argument for all three.

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But we're just very, very happy that we've all got one,

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and hoping for some more.

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When all three of you get together, and that is a rare occasion,

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do you feel, Rory, like a special bond between the three,

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because of what you've achieved for golf and for Northern Ireland?

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I don't even think it's because of what we've achieved.

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Obviously, it's been great, what we've done on the golf course,

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but I think just the relationship we have.

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You know, I've known Darren since I was 10 years old, 11 years old,

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and, G-Mac, he really showed me the ropes when I came out here

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on tour, so I've got a very special relationship with these two guys

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and it goes beyond just the success that we've had on the golf course.

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It helps that we're all from the same part of the world.

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And I think that's what brings us together more.

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Seeing Graeme win the US Open at Pebble Beach inspired me

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to think that I can go on and achieve great things

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on the golf course like he did in 2010.

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And I think what I did in '11

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obviously inspired Darren to go and...

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Well, I think inspired Darren to go and do what he did at St George's.

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I think that's what happened.

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Obviously, I felt extremely proud,

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like we all did, with G-Mac and Rory winning their majors,

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and, as they've both said,

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I've known them both for a very long time, because I am old,

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and it's been great to see them,

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both of them, develop and get better and better and better

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and I don't think either of them have really reached their prime yet.

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I'm sure they've got a lot more majors between the two of them.

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But it's been great to be a little part of history from home.

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The reason we've obviously brought all three of you together

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is because of your major success

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and we reflect on that remarkable period now

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with the help of another golfer from Northern Ireland,

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himself a major star in his own right,

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he's got his own television show in America.

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I'm 10 years older than Darren,

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he's 10 years older than Graeme, who is 10 years older than Rory.

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So spot the odd man out.

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You know, we have such a small population.

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To turn out three major champions

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and just really be ambassadors for Northern Ireland,

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it makes me so proud, I can't tell you.

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The three of them together are the most remarkable trio.

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It's a phenomenon.

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We're better at poetry and at music and literature, in general,

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perhaps golf is a combination of all of those.

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-COMMENTATOR:

-Just one little putt left here.

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to grab the United States Open.

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And Graeme McDowell's dream has come true.

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From Northern Ireland, he's a US Open Champion at Pebble Beach.

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I've been here 20 years, but I haven't forgotten where I'm from.

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I'll go with 'McDoh-ell' over here and people say, "What are you doing?

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"That's 'McDow-ell'."

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No, no, it isn't. No, it's not. It's 'McDoh-ell'.

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Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the champion

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of the 110th United States Open, Graeme McDowell.

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You know, Graeme is such a competitor.

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Rory is kind of in a similar mode.

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APPLAUSE

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If Rory plays well, boy, it's good luck to everybody else.

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He doesn't act like a superstar.

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He's grounded, from Holywood Golf Club,

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where I was the assistant pro 19 years before the little bugger

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was born, which is just depressing, to be honest with you.

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It's difficult to be Darren Clarke, when you come to a golf tournament,

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because he doesn't intimidate people at all.

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He's approachable, he's warm, he's fuzzy,

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he is who you actually think he is.

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APPLAUSE

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That's a rare thing in today's world of super athletes.

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You don't think of Darren as a super athlete, sometimes.

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Sometimes he is when he's a little skinnier and sometimes not so much.

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He's one of the most beloved players,

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I think, on both sides of the Atlantic.

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He's hugely popular here in the United States.

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CHEERING

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"Super athlete."

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That was then.

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It's a little bit different now. Look at it!

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Why did you decide to lose a lot of weight?

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Because I was too fat, basically.

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Too fat and too heavy and I just saw myself on TV and thought,

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"This is no good." I had to do something about it.

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I started losing a lot of weight and getting a lot stronger,

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so I feel much better, I feel much stronger,

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the golf ball hasn't realised how I feel just yet,

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but, you know, I feel much better in myself.

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-So what size is the waste now, then?

-Smaller than yours.

-No way.

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-I'm 34.

-Smaller than yours, I'm 32. I am 32. What are you?

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Say more than 32, please, go on.

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-I'm 33ish, probably. I don't know.

-You fat git.

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-I know, what can I say?

-What about you, Ror?

-He's small.

-30.

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So, technically, we can no longer call you Big Darren.

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You can call me many things, lots of people do.

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There's always been three versions, you know?

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Fat, skinny and medium.

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-The wardrobe's bad.

-Skinny D. Skinny D.

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David Feherty said it's 'McDoh-ell', not 'McDow-ell'.

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-What is it for you?

-It's whatever they want it to be, really.

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It was one of those things, back when I first turned pro,

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and my dad used to get a little annoyed about it.

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"It's 'McDoh-ell', it's 'McDoh-ell'."

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I said, "Dad, as long as they're saying good things about us,

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"I don't really mind what they call us, really."

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It's pretty much 'McDow-ell' anywhere else in the world,

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apart from Northern Ireland, so when I'm home, it's 'McDoh-ell',

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and when I'm anywhere else...

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-It's not even 'McDoh-ell', it's 'MaDoh-ell'.

-Exactly.

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There's not even a C in there.

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When you get right into the countryside there, it becomes...

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The C disappears, as well.

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So whatever they want to call me, I don't really mind.

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Do these two give you a little bit of stick about your accent

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-now and again?

-Possibly. Allegedly.

-Never.

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Never. I was just saying, I think Portrush is a little closer

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to the United States than Belfast and Dungannon. So that's kind of...

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You just mentioned United States, and he's gone right in there!

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It's good you can poke fun at yourself.

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You know, five, six, seven years later,

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I'm sort of getting to grips with

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the fact that just comes with the territory.

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I'll take it, could be worse.

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David Feherty described what you three did as "phenomenal".

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How do you reflect on what the three of you did back then,

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winning those major championships?

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It was...

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Honestly, I think, you know, if you even go back...

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..further than G-Mac's success and Padraig Harrington in '07 and '08,

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doing what he did at the Open Championship, at the US PGA,

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I think that gave a lot of guys belief, also,

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but then being so close with G-Mac and Darren

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and seeing what G-Mac did at Pebble Beach...

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And knowing that you take money off me all the time.

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And knowing that I beat him in every practice round we play!

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"G-Mac's winning US Opens, but I take the money every week! Now, let me think."

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G-Mac's winning and I'm missing...

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I was watching it in my bedroom back in Belfast.

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But it's...

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it's incredible, especially in that,

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I don't know if it's a coincidence that happened

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in such a short space of time,

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but there is definitely something. We fed off one another,

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or it just seemed like it was our time,

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Northern Ireland's time in golf to shine.

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Was it life-changing for you, winning the US Open?

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Yeah, I think life changed. Life as I knew it changed.

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I think people just know you more. Sponsors take more notice of you.

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There's just so much more opportunities around the world.

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Life just becomes busier

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and it takes a little bit of getting used to,

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from a prioritising point of view.

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Perhaps myself, maybe more than the two lads.

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Rory certainly has been primed for greatness since he was a teenager,

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you know, I certainly wasn't a teenage sensation quite like Rory,

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so he probably took things a little more in his stride

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than perhaps I did.

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Darren had had a phenomenal career.

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It would have been wrong

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if Darren hadn't punched in a major championship to highlight

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what had been an amazing career.

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In many ways, our three circumstances were very different.

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Mine was maybe just a tiny bit more life-changing

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than the other two boys, I'd say.

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How did you feel when you watched the other two winning

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a major championship, having such a good career yourself,

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but not being able to get the major over the line?

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Whenever I was watching both of them win, it was...

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I didn't feel any personal...

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I didn't feel anything against myself,

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all I felt was a huge sense of pride and joy for these two.

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You know, I'd put myself in the position

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where I could have won majors before and I didn't manage to do it

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and for me to reassess my goals and stuff,

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I think we'll all agree that, whatever you do,

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winning a major's one of those things that we strive towards.

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And, when you do do it, you reassess your goals -

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what do you want to do? What's next?

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You've climbed to the top of the hill,

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and where do you go from there?

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At their age, it's very easy for them...

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I would imagine easier to plot out a course of action.

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For me at 42...

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You know? And I took a little bit of time to enjoy mine.

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-LAUGHTER

-Only a little bit of time.

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Rude not to.

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So, yeah, it's more difficult for me to reassess my goals.

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Did you two see the pictures of Darren

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-enjoying his celebrations at the Open?

-They were there.

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We all got together down the wine bar in Portrush,

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-and we had a Guinness-drinking contest.

-He won.

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-I'm not going to say who won.

-He won.

-Boom!

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-We let him win. We have to let him win.

-I didn't let any...

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I was only a quarter of the way through and you boys had finished.

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We're seasoned veterans.

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Why do you think homecomings were such an important part

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of you all winning major championships?

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You all wanted to bring the trophies back home to Northern Ireland.

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Cos we're proud to be from home. We're proud to be from home.

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Our little country gets an awful lot of bad PR and media and stuff

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around the world.

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There's an awful lot of good in Northern Ireland.

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We're very proud, the three of us, to come from there.

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I think we, all three, come from small golf clubs.

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Golf clubs that have supported us from a very young age,

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given us the opportunity to play golf.

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You know, really, you know, give us a good clip round the ear

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when we were kids and we needed one.

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Really supported us through our professional ranks.

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Then to achieve something like winning a major championship

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and to be able to bring... For me, personally,

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to be able to bring the US Open trophy home to Portrush

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and to Rathmore Golf Club where I was brought up,

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it was a very proud moment in my life,

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as I'm sure it was for the two boys.

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Rory, I'm sure bringing the trophy back home right through your own

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front door to hand it to your mum is something you will always remember.

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There he is.

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CHEERING

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Aw!

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'It's an incredible feeling, because it's not just an individual effort.

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'There's a lot of people around you that worked very hard

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'to make it happen.

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'We all, I think, have great parents,

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'come from very humble backgrounds, beginnings

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'and, you know, all three sets of parents worked very hard

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'to give us the opportunity to do what we're doing today,'

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and what we've been able to achieve.

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Darren, likewise with you, bringing the Claret Jug home

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and giving it to your two boys is an emotional moment

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-that you'll never forget.

-It was. You were there.

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To walk back in and give the two boys the Claret Jug

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was very emotional. Really emotional because of what those two boys

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have been through in their personal lives and stuff.

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It's been a very difficult time for them.

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APPLAUSE

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Well done.

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Well done.

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'And to try and...

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'I don't know, bring some joy into their lives

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'after what's happened to them, you know,'

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it's very special as a parent to be able to do that.

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I'd achieved everything.

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They'd seen me not play very well for a long period of time.

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Then to actually do it, I felt, "Well, Dad's done OK here." I was...

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It was just a really, really special moment for me with the two boys.

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With tears in my eyes, it was one of those special moments.

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I'm sure you can relate to that obviously, Graeme,

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in seeing those pictures of Darren bringing the Claret Jug back home.

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Yeah, it's a special moment when you get to spend that with your family.

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My mum was on the beach in Spain...

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when I won the US Open.

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She didn't quite grasp what all the fuss was about back in Portrush.

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-That was Spain not...

-AMERICAN TWANG:

-"Spain."

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That was Spain.

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Say Spain.

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"Spain" is...

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I think there's subtitles for anyone watching.

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I apologise.

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That place there down south of France.

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The hot place where they say "Como esta?" That place.

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She was on the beach.

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-Your Spanish accent's all right too.

-Not bad.

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Bit of an American twang to the Spanish one as well, a little bit.

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-But, anyway.

-More Mexican.

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Go on, carry on. Sorry for interrupting. Go on.

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She was in Spain.

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She was in... She was on the beach. Give over.

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She was on the beach, didn't realise what all the fuss was about.

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I'd won a few events before. What's so special about this one?

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Didn't realise it was a major.

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So that was my mum's naive innocence kicking in there.

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But I think myself and Rory, to win the US Open...

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US Open - Sunday's always Fathers' Day.

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I know Rory got to experience that with his dad.

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I got to experience the same thing.

0:17:020:17:03

To have my dad there to win the US Open on Pebble Beach

0:17:030:17:07

on Fathers' Day. To share that moment with him...

0:17:070:17:10

It's one of those moments as a son that's pretty irreplaceable.

0:17:100:17:14

A bit special.

0:17:140:17:16

You're some kid!

0:17:160:17:17

You're some kid.

0:17:190:17:20

You're some kid.

0:17:230:17:24

But, of course, the Irish golfer who started it all,

0:17:270:17:30

as you mentioned, is Padraig Harrington.

0:17:300:17:32

He won three majors in just over a year.

0:17:320:17:35

PADRAIG: 'There's no doubt there's no experience

0:17:380:17:40

'like winning your first major.'

0:17:400:17:42

-COMMENTATOR:

-It's there.

0:17:420:17:44

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:17:440:17:46

'You sit back and you dream of winning a major championship.

0:17:460:17:48

'You hit all the golf shots. Nothing goes wrong, you swing the club great.

0:17:480:17:53

'I think when I won in 2007 and 2008,'

0:17:530:17:56

other players had a better feel for what it took to win a major.

0:17:560:18:01

At the time, Tiger was winning a lot of majors

0:18:010:18:03

and we all put him up there on a pedestal.

0:18:030:18:07

It was like he was different.

0:18:070:18:08

Nobody could relate to Tiger's wins.

0:18:080:18:10

They could relate to me winning. They could see...

0:18:100:18:12

"Well, hang on a second, he got it done.

0:18:120:18:15

"When I play well I can play as well as Harrington or beat Harrington,"

0:18:150:18:19

so that gives everybody confidence.

0:18:190:18:22

You've got to make it tangible.

0:18:220:18:24

And that's the shot of the week.

0:18:240:18:26

I'm coming off the back of my three wins in 2008. Graeme wins in 2010.

0:18:260:18:31

It was like, "Wow this happens all the time."

0:18:310:18:34

All of a sudden, Rory wins in 2011. Then Darren backs it up.

0:18:340:18:37

I don't know why it exactly happened at that time.

0:18:370:18:40

I would say that golf in Ireland,

0:18:400:18:42

we've a great competition in Ireland, great competitive scene in Ireland.

0:18:420:18:46

You see it now, huge amount of international players

0:18:460:18:49

coming to Ireland to play all our championships.

0:18:490:18:51

I don't think there's as competitive a place as Ireland for golf.

0:18:510:18:55

PHOTOGRAPHER: Take your hand out your pocket.

0:18:550:18:57

I don't really know what to do with my hands.

0:18:570:18:59

We've got to put Rory out there maybe on a different scheme of things.

0:19:020:19:06

He was destined from a child to go out there and win majors.

0:19:060:19:10

But maybe myself, Graeme and Darren helped to push it on.

0:19:100:19:14

There will be another generation that come along.

0:19:170:19:19

If they can win majors, it will perpetuate it

0:19:190:19:21

further and further down the line.

0:19:210:19:23

But if you're the number one Irish sprinter,

0:19:230:19:25

it doesn't mean you're going to win the Olympic gold medal.

0:19:250:19:27

Whereas if you're the number one Irish golfer,

0:19:270:19:29

it does mean you're capable of winning a major.

0:19:290:19:31

We've created a situation that gives belief to all those kids growing up -

0:19:310:19:35

if you play golf and you excel in Ireland,

0:19:350:19:38

that's good enough to excel around the world.

0:19:380:19:41

To win one major is an achievement.

0:19:410:19:43

To win three in that space of time is incredible.

0:19:430:19:47

Padraig at that stage was very mentally strong.

0:19:470:19:50

He didn't rip it on to every green.

0:19:500:19:53

He used his short game, he used his mind.

0:19:530:19:56

To achieve what he's achieved in that period of time

0:19:560:19:59

really is an incredible performance.

0:19:590:20:01

Literally, you know, when people ask me

0:20:010:20:03

what's in the water in Northern Ireland,

0:20:030:20:05

why do you have three major champions from Northern Ireland,

0:20:050:20:07

why does Padraig Harrington win three majors?

0:20:070:20:09

It's such a small country of Ireland.

0:20:090:20:11

Even smaller in Northern Ireland. Why?

0:20:110:20:14

-Cos we're very normal, ordinary sort of people.

-And the game...

0:20:140:20:18

Golf is very accessible.

0:20:180:20:20

Golf's affordable and accessible unlike Asia, America.

0:20:200:20:23

It's an accessible game.

0:20:230:20:25

The memberships of golf clubs welcome junior kids.

0:20:250:20:29

We're the result of that.

0:20:290:20:30

Is it the quality of the golf courses as well,

0:20:300:20:32

in Northern Ireland, that has helped the success too?

0:20:320:20:35

Quality, it's the variety.

0:20:350:20:38

Kids growing up being able to play in different conditions.

0:20:380:20:41

Links courses, parkland courses.

0:20:410:20:43

Wet, windy weather most of the time, but sunny weather sometimes too.

0:20:450:20:49

Getting that experience around the country definitely helps as well.

0:20:490:20:53

All of your success has obviously brought you significant wealth.

0:20:530:20:57

Between you on the European Tour alone,

0:20:570:20:59

you've amassed prize money of almost £50 million.

0:20:590:21:03

Sometimes when you hear those figures,

0:21:030:21:05

do you have to pinch yourselves?

0:21:050:21:07

It's like lottery-winning numbers for everybody else.

0:21:070:21:10

Is that 48 for Rory and one each for me and Darren?

0:21:100:21:13

LAUGHTER

0:21:130:21:15

Rory should really answer that question.

0:21:170:21:19

Clarkey's spent most of his. I've still got a few quid left.

0:21:210:21:24

Rory's got a few.

0:21:240:21:25

It is. Look, whenever...

0:21:270:21:28

I think whenever you aspire to become a professional golfer

0:21:280:21:31

and you aspire...

0:21:310:21:33

I never held a putt on the putting green at Holywood Golf Club

0:21:330:21:36

to win a million dollars or to win...

0:21:360:21:38

I held a putt on the putting green to win the Masters

0:21:380:21:41

or to win the Open or to win a major.

0:21:410:21:44

To beat Darren Clarke or to beat Tiger Woods or whatever it was.

0:21:440:21:46

It was never about the money.

0:21:460:21:48

The money's nice, and we're able to live a very comfortable lifestyle.

0:21:480:21:53

But, at the end of the day, it's about titles,

0:21:560:21:58

it's about trophies, it's about creating history.

0:21:580:22:02

It's about whenever people remember you,

0:22:020:22:05

remembering you for not just the great golfer you were,

0:22:050:22:08

but what impact you've had on your sport.

0:22:080:22:13

What impact you've had on others as well.

0:22:130:22:16

It is. It's mind-boggling figures whenever you think about it.

0:22:170:22:20

Especially when you think about, as we said before,

0:22:200:22:22

the humble backgrounds and beginnings that we came from.

0:22:220:22:26

It's also nice to be able to treat your family or to give back

0:22:280:22:32

to people that need it more than you do as well.

0:22:320:22:35

The money's great, but, at the end of the day,

0:22:370:22:39

it's definitely not what it's about.

0:22:390:22:41

As you say, Graeme, it's hard to spend that amount of money.

0:22:410:22:43

-No, it's not.

-LAUGHTER

0:22:430:22:45

Darren's giving it a good go.

0:22:450:22:47

I always remember coming home on the school bus down at Gateside Road,

0:22:470:22:50

had my head pressed against the window driving by Clarkey's...

0:22:500:22:54

-The old house.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:22:540:22:56

"What car's he got this week? Yellow M3. Oh!

0:22:560:22:59

"I want one of those." That was me in school.

0:22:590:23:01

-That was a good car, that one.

-That was good. I remember that one.

0:23:010:23:04

It was all right, that one.

0:23:040:23:05

Run us through some of the cars you've bought...

0:23:050:23:07

-No, too many.

-Go on.

-No, too many.

0:23:070:23:08

Too foolish, too stupid, too many. But they were all great.

0:23:080:23:11

I just have had a few hobbies and a few passions.

0:23:130:23:16

Foolishly, the cars were some of them. But I've calmed down now.

0:23:170:23:21

I'm all right.

0:23:210:23:22

You two are season ticket holders at Manchester United, correct?

0:23:220:23:25

Yes. DARREN CLEARS HIS THROAT

0:23:250:23:26

-You are...

-The proper team. We're the proper team.

-Liverpool.

0:23:260:23:30

Do you ever get the chance to use them?

0:23:300:23:31

I went once last year. I went to United - West Brom.

0:23:310:23:36

United were beaten 2-1. I was...

0:23:360:23:38

They were beaten frequently last year.

0:23:380:23:39

They were beaten frequently.

0:23:390:23:41

-You could have went to a lot of games last year.

-Yes, I know.

0:23:410:23:43

I plan to use them more.

0:23:430:23:45

It's great to have them

0:23:450:23:46

because friends and family get great use out of them.

0:23:460:23:49

They love to go over to games and spend weekends in Manchester,

0:23:490:23:52

but I definitely have to get to a few more.

0:23:520:23:55

I'm a bit the same,

0:23:550:23:56

some of my friends have used my season ticket as well,

0:23:560:23:59

but I didn't get last year at all.

0:23:590:24:01

-But the tickets are always used.

-Maybe that's why they did so well!

0:24:010:24:05

Possibly. I could be a jinx. Stay away!

0:24:050:24:08

The one thing money obviously can't buy you is anonymity.

0:24:080:24:12

What is it like living life in a goldfish bowl?

0:24:120:24:17

-Em...

-Tough.

0:24:170:24:19

It's difficult at times and what has made it more difficult

0:24:190:24:24

is with mobile phones, believe it or not, cameras everywhere.

0:24:240:24:28

You know, there is social media, all that sort of stuff.

0:24:280:24:30

You used to have, before these guys were on tour,

0:24:300:24:32

you used to have a certain amount of, you know,

0:24:320:24:34

if you want to have your downtime, your downtime is your downtime.

0:24:340:24:37

Most of the time, we are in the public eye and we are supposed to

0:24:370:24:41

behave in a certain way when we're in the public eye, but people...

0:24:410:24:44

You know, we are just like... Just because we play golf

0:24:440:24:46

doesn't mean we're any different to anybody else

0:24:460:24:48

and we need to switch off at times,

0:24:480:24:50

but that's a very difficult thing to do

0:24:500:24:52

when people may take an inappropriate picture.

0:24:520:24:56

Not when you're doing anything wrong, but just, you know,

0:24:560:24:59

"There's Rory having a drink,

0:24:590:25:01

"there's Rory in his shorts and T-shirt

0:25:010:25:03

"and G-Mac is out doing this, he is out doing that."

0:25:030:25:05

Sooner or later, you're going to become pretty guarded

0:25:050:25:08

and you're going to want to have your own time

0:25:080:25:10

is your own time because we are in the public eye all the time

0:25:100:25:13

whenever we do what we do.

0:25:130:25:14

Every single person now is a media outlet,

0:25:140:25:17

whether it be because they have a Facebook or a Twitter

0:25:170:25:19

or an Instagram, or whatever it is, so...

0:25:190:25:22

You always have that shield up at times, even when, you know,

0:25:220:25:27

you should be enjoying your time with your friends or your family,

0:25:270:25:30

you just always have that guard up, just because you know if you do...

0:25:300:25:36

If you misstep the slightest bit or you just put a foot wrong

0:25:360:25:40

or you do something that people won't like, you know,

0:25:400:25:43

it's going to get pounced on, you're going to get criticised for it.

0:25:430:25:46

You know, the advice that my mum and dad always give me is be yourself.

0:25:460:25:50

You know, be yourself and be happy. You know, and if you can do that...

0:25:500:25:53

You know, if you just live your life the way you want to live it

0:25:530:25:56

and people can say and write what they think, but...

0:25:560:25:58

That's true, but you're always judged all the time.

0:25:580:26:01

You are judged, you are judged and it takes a very strong person,

0:26:010:26:04

mentally strong person...

0:26:040:26:06

You need thick skin as well because you start to read what everyone

0:26:060:26:10

writes about you and you start to read some of the comments, you can...

0:26:100:26:14

You can get... You get sensitive pretty quickly, but it's part of...

0:26:140:26:19

It's part of what we do.

0:26:190:26:21

I guess it is more a part of my life because of some of the...

0:26:210:26:26

decisions I've made off the course, but at the end of the day,

0:26:260:26:30

you know, I just try and live my life the way I want to

0:26:300:26:34

and, you know, the way that makes me happy.

0:26:340:26:37

Like Rory said, anybody that writes a message on Twitter, you know,

0:26:370:26:40

it's an instant headline, you know.

0:26:400:26:42

Any picture of us can instantly be in the papers the very next day.

0:26:420:26:47

You know, that just comes with the territory and we have to

0:26:470:26:50

try and embrace it as much as we can to a certain extent

0:26:500:26:53

and you know, try to live our life off the golf course

0:26:530:26:56

and keep it to ourselves as much as we can.

0:26:560:26:58

All three of you obviously

0:26:580:26:59

rewarded very richly for your golfing success,

0:26:590:27:01

but all three of you have all wanted to give something back.

0:27:010:27:05

We travelled to Portugal

0:27:050:27:07

to see how you are helping the best young talent in Ireland.

0:27:070:27:10

Nice shot.

0:27:150:27:16

Good eye.

0:27:160:27:18

Good shot.

0:27:210:27:22

'It's a wonderful trait that Darren has. He's a giver.

0:27:240:27:27

'He's a giver, not a taker and he's extremely generous.'

0:27:270:27:30

He said to me that he wanted to give something back to Irish golf,

0:27:300:27:34

to Irish junior golf and he wanted to see younger kids playing golf

0:27:340:27:38

who might not otherwise get the chance to play.

0:27:380:27:41

You know, all of the really talented kids

0:27:410:27:43

who have come through the foundation,

0:27:430:27:46

they all have Darren's phone number

0:27:460:27:48

and they become his friend and he becomes their friend

0:27:480:27:51

and he has that warm, easy personality that makes that easy.

0:27:510:27:55

What he does within the foundation is extremely important to...

0:27:560:28:01

to try and nurture talent, to try and uncover talent,

0:28:010:28:05

to try and enhance talent.

0:28:050:28:07

But he doesn't need any praise or legacy for that. He loves doing it.

0:28:070:28:13

Good shot, well done.

0:28:130:28:16

Very nice. Good four.

0:28:160:28:17

'I think it's very easy

0:28:190:28:22

'to forget how fortunate we are for what we do.'

0:28:220:28:25

Half my foundation is for developing junior golf in Ireland,

0:28:250:28:29

trying to get into schools for kids seven, eight, nine years old,

0:28:290:28:32

to get them interested in the game.

0:28:320:28:34

And then the other half is for raising money for breast cancer,

0:28:340:28:39

for obvious reasons and stuff, but...

0:28:390:28:42

Was that obviously very important to you as well because your...

0:28:420:28:46

-your wife Heather passed away?

-Yeah, exactly.

0:28:460:28:48

It is important to me because... It's... It's...

0:28:480:28:53

There is a cure there somewhere, they just haven't found it yet,

0:28:530:28:56

so if I can help put the goal along a little bit,

0:28:560:28:58

that would help somebody else not find themselves

0:28:580:29:01

in the position that I found myself in with two young kids,

0:29:010:29:04

then that would be great, that would make a difference.

0:29:040:29:07

But the foundation thing with the golf

0:29:070:29:09

is all about trying to find the next G-Mac,

0:29:090:29:11

or trying to find the next Rory.

0:29:110:29:13

I'm a product of Darren's foundation as well.

0:29:130:29:15

-Do you remember coming through the foundation?

-Yes.

0:29:150:29:17

I remember the weekends down at Portmarnock

0:29:170:29:20

and I remember wanting to win the Ulster Boys'

0:29:200:29:22

or the Irish Boys' or the Connaught Boys',

0:29:220:29:24

just to get on that weekend to go down and spend the weekend with...

0:29:240:29:27

And then he won about a dozen or 15 or 18 or something!

0:29:270:29:30

But it was always a highlight of my year to go

0:29:300:29:33

and get to spend a bit of time with Darren

0:29:330:29:34

and play at Portmarnock and just go down for the weekend, you know?

0:29:340:29:38

It was a real thrill for me and, you know, as Darren said,

0:29:380:29:41

to be able to, you know, develop junior golf in Ireland

0:29:410:29:44

and give back a little bit is... You know, that's what it's all about.

0:29:440:29:49

And, Graeme and Rory, you both have very much concentrated

0:29:490:29:52

your charity efforts on sick children's charities.

0:29:520:29:55

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:29:560:29:59

Come on, I'll fight you.

0:30:050:30:07

They're all cardiac patients, the little guys,

0:30:090:30:12

the little girls, who have had very aggressive surgery,

0:30:120:30:15

have been under treatment since they were born.

0:30:150:30:17

'They are there with their families today. For...

0:30:190:30:21

'For a lot of them, it's their first family holiday.'

0:30:210:30:24

Did you get to see Mickey Mouse yet?

0:30:240:30:26

'We've been working with Graeme for over three years now.'

0:30:260:30:29

He is a very, very well-known character.

0:30:290:30:31

He can loosen up lots of wallets, open lots of doors

0:30:310:30:33

and we've raised over one and a half million dollars with his help.

0:30:330:30:36

That's gone directly to build a brand-new cardiac ward,

0:30:360:30:39

the Children's Heart Centre in Crumlin Hospital.

0:30:390:30:41

You know, he's helped provide magical moments here

0:30:410:30:44

and he's helped provide the very, very best infrastructure back home

0:30:440:30:48

where they can be treated.

0:30:480:30:50

I think Graeme really gets it. This isn't... This is beyond charity.

0:30:500:30:54

Graeme had this vision and this picture

0:30:540:30:56

and it's just wonderful to see the humanity of the man.

0:30:560:30:59

# We all fall down. #

0:30:590:31:02

I wanted to raise money, I wanted

0:31:020:31:04

to do something real and something tangible

0:31:040:31:06

and something that I could actually see some results from.

0:31:060:31:10

I got a chance to visit Crumlin

0:31:100:31:12

and have a look at the facilities there

0:31:120:31:14

and just see how bad they were.

0:31:140:31:16

You know, meet these incredible nurses and people and surgeons

0:31:160:31:20

and just see the young kids that come through there.

0:31:200:31:23

The cardiac unit at Crumlin

0:31:230:31:24

is the number-one cardiac unit in the whole of Ireland,

0:31:240:31:27

so kids born north or south of the border with heart defects

0:31:270:31:31

will end up in Crumlin at some point in their sick lives.

0:31:310:31:34

You know, as soon as I found out about that,

0:31:340:31:36

I mean, that was really what I wanted to concentrate my efforts on

0:31:360:31:39

and, you know, we did a few dinners and a few bits and pieces

0:31:390:31:42

and raised over 2 million, the last three years, for Crumlin.

0:31:420:31:45

You know, you meet kids that just touch your life and...

0:31:450:31:49

it's pretty special and I think the three of us feel very connected

0:31:490:31:53

and very, very motivated to use our connections

0:31:530:31:56

and our, you know, our influence to be able to raise money

0:31:560:31:59

and make an impact in the world because, like Darren said,

0:31:590:32:02

we are very fortunate to do what we do.

0:32:020:32:04

Rory, why have you decided to give £1 million

0:32:040:32:07

-to a local charity in Northern Ireland?

-Yeah.

0:32:070:32:11

You know, you guys went with me to the respite centre

0:32:110:32:14

there in Newcastle for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund For Children,

0:32:140:32:19

just to see the great work that they do and, you know,

0:32:190:32:24

'they have put a lot of money and a lot of effort into trying to

0:32:240:32:28

'build the centre, not just for the kids, but for their families as well.

0:32:280:32:32

'Somewhere where they can come and, you know, enjoy themselves

0:32:320:32:36

'and get away from, you know, the stress of their daily lives.'

0:32:360:32:42

-Thank you very much.

-Brilliant!

-Can I open it now or will I save it?

0:32:420:32:45

'It really, you know, it hit home with me and it really touched me,

0:32:450:32:50

'seeing how much of a difference it made to these families' lives

0:32:500:32:54

'and they needed a little bit of help just to, you know,

0:32:540:32:57

'to get the thing finished and...'

0:32:570:33:00

You know, I was...

0:33:000:33:02

You know, with what I saw on Christmas Eve there,

0:33:020:33:05

visiting the kids,

0:33:050:33:06

I just thought it was a great thing to do and, you know,

0:33:060:33:09

very fortunate to be able to do it, to help so many people like that

0:33:090:33:14

and I wanted to concentrate first that...

0:33:140:33:17

You know, doing things at home because I'm from Northern Ireland,

0:33:170:33:21

feeling the connection to there, it's just great to be able to do it,

0:33:210:33:26

it's great to be able to give back

0:33:260:33:29

and, you know, to be able to concentrate it,

0:33:290:33:32

you know, at home first is something that was very important to me.

0:33:320:33:36

The one player who has dominated golf

0:33:360:33:38

through all of your three generations

0:33:380:33:40

is, of course, Tiger Woods.

0:33:400:33:41

We travelled to Turkey to get his thoughts

0:33:410:33:44

on your fantastic golfing success.

0:33:440:33:46

WOODS: 'The game of golf is growing worldwide. It certainly has.

0:33:480:33:51

'With the inclusion of golf in the Olympics, I think it's just taken off

0:33:510:33:56

'and it's just amazing to see the amount of junior golfers

0:33:560:34:00

'and how many of them are just good.

0:34:000:34:04

'They've got such great swings.'

0:34:040:34:07

That's the next wave of kids that are coming

0:34:070:34:09

and yes, it won't be long before you start seeing other places

0:34:090:34:13

around the world, you know,

0:34:130:34:16

that are going to get more involved in the game of golf.

0:34:160:34:18

Winning majors is obviously something

0:34:180:34:20

which has given you the most satisfaction.

0:34:200:34:22

How much did you enjoy watching your good friend Darren Clarke

0:34:220:34:25

-win his one major?

-Oh, man, it was incredible.

0:34:250:34:27

It was incredible because, you know,

0:34:270:34:30

after what he went through with Heather

0:34:300:34:33

and to go through all that,

0:34:330:34:36

it's tough, it was tough being a single parent

0:34:360:34:39

and trying to explain to his boys, you know, what's going on.

0:34:390:34:44

It was a very difficult time,

0:34:440:34:47

he fought through it and came out on the right side

0:34:470:34:51

and to see him play well, not just in the Open Championship

0:34:510:34:56

but he played well under very difficult conditions in that Open.

0:34:560:35:00

It was rainy, it was windy, it was tough

0:35:000:35:03

and he hung in there and outplayed everybody.

0:35:030:35:07

His major win was the third major win for a golfer

0:35:070:35:10

from Northern Ireland in a very short space of time,

0:35:100:35:13

a population of just a couple of million people.

0:35:130:35:16

What did you make of that success for somewhere so small?

0:35:160:35:19

Yeah, you have, you know, what G-Mac, Rory and obviously Darren,

0:35:190:35:24

erm, I think it's just, I think if you grow up playing links golf,

0:35:240:35:29

it does help quite a bit because you have to understand shot making.

0:35:290:35:33

You've got to be able to manoeuvre the golf ball

0:35:330:35:36

and kids who don't get a chance to travel around the world

0:35:360:35:39

and play different shots, everything's an airborne game,

0:35:390:35:43

especially in the States, everything's up in the air.

0:35:430:35:45

That's one of the reasons why I enjoy playing around the world

0:35:450:35:48

cos I play differently around the world.

0:35:480:35:50

You have to adapt your different styles to the golf courses

0:35:500:35:54

so I think those guys certainly have an advantage to be able to play

0:35:540:35:59

and learn how to shape shots, take two clubs more, chip it,

0:35:590:36:04

different flights, different feels

0:36:040:36:06

and I think that lends itself to you developing as a player faster.

0:36:060:36:11

Finally, the Open Championship is set to go back to Northern Ireland

0:36:110:36:15

for just the second time in its history.

0:36:150:36:17

How would you welcome that news

0:36:170:36:18

and how much would you love to win an Open in Ireland?

0:36:180:36:21

-Yeah, I would. What course are they playing?

-Royal Portrush.

0:36:220:36:26

I think as far north as I've ever been is Royal County Down so

0:36:260:36:30

Darren would certainly have an advantage there because that's where

0:36:300:36:33

he grew up so I think it would be, it would be pretty incredible.

0:36:330:36:37

How do you three view the Open coming home to Northern Ireland?

0:36:370:36:42

It's incredible. It's something...

0:36:420:36:44

I'm older than these two

0:36:440:36:46

so I've experienced the Troubles at home for a few more years

0:36:460:36:49

than these two have and to think through all the bad times.

0:36:490:36:52

I grew up in Dungannon, right in the middle of a lot of the stuff

0:36:520:36:57

that was going on and to think...

0:36:570:36:59

..at this stage that we're going to have the biggest sporting event

0:37:000:37:05

that's ever going to come to Northern Ireland

0:37:050:37:08

coming to Royal Portrush

0:37:080:37:10

which is one of the best courses in the world, thinking about that now

0:37:100:37:13

compared to what it was like all those years ago

0:37:130:37:16

and people at home will obviously identify what I'm speaking about.

0:37:160:37:20

To come from the Dark Ages which we were in not too many years ago

0:37:200:37:24

to where we are now is an incredible achievement

0:37:240:37:26

for all those people involved.

0:37:260:37:27

A good time, I suppose, to remember Northern Ireland's other

0:37:270:37:30

major champion, Fred Daly, who was from Portrush, of course.

0:37:300:37:33

-I'm sure you played in Fred Daly competitions.

-We all did, yeah.

0:37:330:37:37

-We all did.

-Yeah, we all did.

0:37:370:37:39

Yeah, I mean, it's like Darren said, you know,

0:37:390:37:42

it really is just a result of everything that's happened,

0:37:420:37:45

you know, with the peace processes

0:37:450:37:48

and really from a golfing point of view,

0:37:480:37:50

what's gone on in Northern Ireland with the three of us.

0:37:500:37:53

It's a special time, it's, you know,

0:37:530:37:55

it got kind of frustrating 10, 15 years ago meeting tourists,

0:37:550:37:59

golfing tourists from all over the world who'd tell me

0:37:590:38:01

about their golfing exploits in Ireland

0:38:010:38:03

and so little did they mention the north of Ireland...

0:38:030:38:06

They were scared.

0:38:060:38:07

Exactly, I mean, such a stigma attached to Northern Ireland

0:38:070:38:10

and I think we've all experienced that in some shape or form

0:38:100:38:14

and, you know, for everything that's gone on in the country politically,

0:38:140:38:17

religiously, just from a peace point of view, you know,

0:38:170:38:21

to really galvanise that with the Open Championship coming,

0:38:210:38:24

it's just a big boost for the whole of the country of Ireland,

0:38:240:38:28

you know, financially, economically, emotionally, you know,

0:38:280:38:31

it's just a special thing for everyone.

0:38:310:38:33

What about a Northern Ireland Open winner in Northern Ireland?

0:38:330:38:37

Don't think you could ask for anything more, could you?

0:38:370:38:39

No, you couldn't. You couldn't.

0:38:390:38:41

And you never know, it mightn't even be one of us.

0:38:410:38:43

It could be someone that's coming up through the ranks at the minute,

0:38:430:38:47

-someone that's...

-Darren's...

-..16, 17, 18 years old.

0:38:470:38:50

And obviously the news that the Open's coming to Portrush

0:38:500:38:54

is going to inspire so many kids in Northern Ireland

0:38:540:38:57

to want to become, you know, better players and want to play,

0:38:570:39:00

you know, in an Open Championship at home.

0:39:000:39:03

I just think of how many kids it's going to inspire to come

0:39:030:39:06

and watch you and you up at the Open Championship at Portrush,

0:39:060:39:09

how many kids are going to see these two play and think,

0:39:090:39:11

"Oh, I'm going to have a go at that game.

0:39:110:39:13

"I'm going to take that up."

0:39:130:39:15

And the whole thing just builds and builds and builds.

0:39:150:39:18

And it was tough to get you three together

0:39:180:39:20

but it was almost as difficult to get

0:39:200:39:22

a Clarke, McDowell, McIlroy fathers combination together.

0:39:220:39:25

If you had done it in a pub,

0:39:250:39:27

you'd probably have got the three of them together very easily.

0:39:270:39:30

-If you said it was on the BBC tab.

-Yeah, free bar they'd have gone!

0:39:300:39:33

Oh, no, it's perfect.

0:39:360:39:38

Kenny and I are very friendly because obviously with Kenny

0:39:490:39:52

living in Portrush and we're in Bushmills that, you know,

0:39:520:39:55

we see one another fairly regular. We play golf together

0:39:550:39:58

and weekends we spend together at houses or go out for a meal.

0:39:580:40:01

Gerry, I haven't seen him for a while

0:40:010:40:03

so it was nice to meet up with Gerry again.

0:40:030:40:06

I've known him a long time,

0:40:060:40:07

to get out and play a few holes with him, it's a bit of fun.

0:40:070:40:11

There is some nights we'd sit back and put the old videos on

0:40:130:40:17

and you get some laugh like about Rory, you know, growing up.

0:40:170:40:22

-Well done.

-Good putt.

0:40:220:40:24

I remember an interview with him when he was nine or ten and I asked him

0:40:240:40:27

what he would like to do and he rhymed off all the majors and

0:40:270:40:30

you sit back and you look at it now and his dream's coming true.

0:40:300:40:34

Look at that, eh? Middle strike.

0:40:360:40:38

-Look at that, there. Eh?

-Middle strike!

0:40:380:40:41

On the early days at the pitch and putt,

0:40:410:40:43

they were there all day, every day.

0:40:430:40:46

You couldn't keep him away from the place.

0:40:460:40:48

He played with anybody that would have him.

0:40:480:40:51

We all had to make sacrifices

0:40:510:40:52

but at the end of the day we've been repaid in full and maybe a bit more.

0:40:520:40:56

You had to take them to all the different tournaments,

0:40:560:40:58

down to Middle Ireland and wherever they had to go,

0:40:580:41:00

I had an old red Cavalier

0:41:000:41:02

and it could have went up and down that road itself.

0:41:020:41:04

In my case, I had to take on extra jobs, try and get the money.

0:41:040:41:09

Godfrey did the same for Darren.

0:41:090:41:11

Gerry did the same for Rory so it just has to be done.

0:41:110:41:14

'You had to give them a chance, if you didn't give them a chance

0:41:160:41:19

'to, sort of, go to the top level, you'd regret it later on.'

0:41:190:41:24

Wrong line, too hard, apart from that, it was a good putt.

0:41:240:41:27

'I think any parent if their, you know, child has any talent,

0:41:270:41:31

'try and put the effort in.

0:41:310:41:33

'Rory worked hard, we're lucky now because we're living the dream.'

0:41:330:41:38

'They all get on great, though. I was going to say that earlier.'

0:41:420:41:46

My mum and dad and Rory's mum and dad and G-Mac's mum and dad,

0:41:460:41:50

they all get on great. They all sit there. They go on...

0:41:500:41:54

-My mum and dad and your mum and dad are out every weekend.

-They are.

0:41:540:41:58

Rocking around Portrush.

0:41:580:41:59

If my mum and dad didn't have to travel so far,

0:41:590:42:02

they'd be up there too.

0:42:020:42:03

But I think because they all know,

0:42:030:42:09

each one of them knows what they've had to sacrifice for, to give us

0:42:090:42:13

the opportunity to do what we have to do.

0:42:130:42:15

-I think that's the big bond between them too.

-Yeah.

0:42:150:42:17

They genuinely get on really, really well with each other.

0:42:170:42:20

-It's amazing.

-What have you been able to do for them?

0:42:200:42:22

They made so many sacrifices for all of you when you were growing up.

0:42:220:42:26

They're able to do whatever they want, basically,

0:42:260:42:29

and that's the way it should be.

0:42:290:42:31

You know, they worked for 20 years really, really hard.

0:42:310:42:35

I mean, my mum worked night shifts for 15 years

0:42:350:42:38

and my dad worked three jobs at one point, you know,

0:42:380:42:40

just to be able to let me play golf, to fund my junior career

0:42:400:42:46

and, you know, it could have all amounted to nothing.

0:42:460:42:48

You know, I could've said at 18, "You know what?

0:42:480:42:50

"I want to go to university and, you know, take another career path."

0:42:500:42:54

-They would've...

-You need grades for that, though.

0:42:540:42:57

I need brains for that!

0:42:570:42:59

Did you stay at school or did you not?

0:42:590:43:01

-What age did you stay at school until?

-12. No!

0:43:010:43:04

-16, Darren, 16.

-What age did you stay until?

0:43:040:43:07

He went to a few chipping lessons,

0:43:070:43:08

I wouldn't say he went to many maths lessons.

0:43:080:43:11

Yeah, but your dad did say that your mum and him often get the

0:43:110:43:16

old VHS out and have a good laugh at some of the old archive footage.

0:43:160:43:20

-Do you?

-I don't.

-All of you?

0:43:200:43:23

I mean, it's nice to...

0:43:230:43:27

I mean, it is nice to reminisce

0:43:270:43:28

and if I was to get a tape out or an old DVD or whatever, it would've...

0:43:280:43:34

I've got videos of me taking lessons with Michael Bannon

0:43:340:43:38

when I was eight or nine years old and seeing how I swung it back then

0:43:380:43:41

but, you know, how I swing it now,

0:43:410:43:43

it's great to look back at that old, you know, that old footage

0:43:430:43:47

and go on and playing in the Junior World Championships at 11

0:43:470:43:50

and 12 and going back and looking at that sort of stuff

0:43:500:43:54

and it's nice to be able to do it but I'm sure my mum and dad

0:43:540:43:58

like to get those tapes out over a couple of vodka and Diet Cokes

0:43:580:44:01

and have a chuckle to themselves.

0:44:010:44:03

How do you two look back at some of the old archive

0:44:030:44:05

-and the old hairstyles and the old outfits?

-Cringe. Cringe.

0:44:050:44:09

I'd say Clarkey, you've been through more...

0:44:090:44:12

-I've been through more hairdressers.

-..more re-models.

0:44:120:44:14

-Yeah, more hairdressers than I've had hot dinners.

-Yeah.

0:44:140:44:17

I think we've all had our dodgy sort of fashion days.

0:44:170:44:20

We've all had dodgy barnets, it has to be said.

0:44:200:44:22

I have to say Clarkey's been responsible for a couple of mine.

0:44:220:44:25

-Couple of tailors and a couple of bits and pieces...

-Oh, yeah.

0:44:250:44:28

Do you remember him? Tony, yeah, oh. Exactly.

0:44:280:44:31

-We thought he was nice at the time.

-There were a few dodgy outfits.

0:44:310:44:33

There's a great photo of Clarkey in Baltray clubhouse...

0:44:330:44:38

-With that vile old jumper on?

-With the bright blond hair.

0:44:380:44:42

-Oh, yeah.

-The blond mullet.

-Yeah.

-The blond mullet.

0:44:420:44:44

-Blond mullet, that was a good one.

-Not that I'm one to talk about hair.

0:44:440:44:47

-With a Pringle on.

-Yeah.

0:44:470:44:49

-Rory can't really give you stick about...

-No...

0:44:490:44:52

-My next line was, I don't think you should be talking about barnets.

-No.

0:44:520:44:55

I don't think that's really a way we should be going forward.

0:44:550:44:58

-You haven't called me Coco yet.

-Not yet, no. Not yet.

0:44:580:45:00

That was a bottom drawer one, in case it was needed.

0:45:000:45:02

There's actually a great photo of you at the French Open

0:45:020:45:05

down at the locker room and it's a full barnet. It's a full 'fro.

0:45:050:45:09

But, listen, the barnet, it hasn't changed much

0:45:090:45:11

from you were years ago.

0:45:110:45:13

I mean, the style really hasn't changed, has it? It's similar.

0:45:130:45:16

-It's similar but it's toned down now.

-The product's a bit better.

0:45:160:45:20

It's a bit more under control. Bit like my golf game.

0:45:200:45:23

Bit more under control.

0:45:230:45:24

So who's the snappiest dresser? You? Graeme?

0:45:240:45:27

You've your own clothing line.

0:45:270:45:29

Listen, you know, it's pretty tough to keep up with DC's wardrobe.

0:45:290:45:32

It's, I mean, you know,

0:45:320:45:35

there's more Italian designers in there than Milan.

0:45:350:45:39

Family is obviously very important to you all

0:45:390:45:42

and looking after your families.

0:45:420:45:43

Your own families, I would imagine, now take great priority,

0:45:430:45:47

-especially your boys, Darren...

-Mm-hm.

0:45:470:45:49

-..are two lovely golfers themselves.

-Yeah, they are. Tyrone and Conor.

0:45:490:45:52

They're both coming on and playing a lot but they're two good kids,

0:45:520:45:56

you know, I'm very proud of them.

0:45:560:45:58

I'm a very proud dad.

0:45:580:45:59

As we touched on earlier,

0:45:590:46:01

what they've been through in their own personal lives

0:46:010:46:04

but from having moved back home from England

0:46:040:46:06

where Tyrone had been boarding for a couple of years,

0:46:060:46:08

Conor was about to start boarding cos there was no other options

0:46:080:46:12

over there and I hated it because I couldn't get to see them even

0:46:120:46:15

when I was having a week off,

0:46:150:46:16

I would see maybe Tyrone for ten minutes in the evening and stuff

0:46:160:46:19

and it just wasn't my thing.

0:46:190:46:20

Moving back home in the summer

0:46:200:46:22

when it starts getting lighter in the evening, they get home,

0:46:220:46:25

do their homework or go down to the golf club and play a few holes

0:46:250:46:28

and they just love living where we live now

0:46:280:46:32

and being just normal day boys going to school

0:46:320:46:34

and getting back home again and, you know,

0:46:340:46:36

they're both mad keen about their golf and they both enjoy it.

0:46:360:46:39

Two different, totally different characters.

0:46:390:46:42

Alison has to look after them whenever I'm away a lot

0:46:420:46:47

but Tyrone is as good as gold and polite and mannerly.

0:46:470:46:49

Conor's got the polite manner and apart from that,

0:46:490:46:52

he's a complete nutter half the time so and, you know,

0:46:520:46:54

they think the world of these two,

0:46:540:46:56

they're always watching what's going on.

0:46:560:46:58

They've both got hats and stuff signed by both of them

0:46:580:47:01

-in their bedrooms.

-They might be the snappiest dressers.

-Yeah.

0:47:010:47:03

They love their Loudmouth, Clarkey.

0:47:030:47:05

But they do, they talk about these two all the time

0:47:050:47:08

whenever they're at home and stuff so, no, I'm very lucky.

0:47:080:47:13

I feel very fortunate that my two boys...

0:47:130:47:16

I'm a proud dad with a great wife as well at home.

0:47:160:47:20

I know years gone by, Graeme, you told me

0:47:200:47:23

that being a professional golfer was more a single man's sport.

0:47:230:47:27

How have you had to readjust by getting married

0:47:270:47:29

and a family of your own now as well?

0:47:290:47:32

Yeah, life's certainly moved fast the last few years.

0:47:320:47:35

There's no doubt sort of my 20s, late 20s, early 30s,

0:47:350:47:38

you know, it is a job which is not conducive to relationships,

0:47:380:47:43

you know, which we've all experienced.

0:47:430:47:45

It's hard and, you know, we spend a lot of time away from home

0:47:450:47:50

and, you know, I'm looking forward to raising my own children.

0:47:500:47:53

Darren's experienced that and it is tough being away from home,

0:47:530:47:57

you know, luckily I met the right woman the last few years and...

0:47:570:48:01

I thought you were going to say the last time there

0:48:010:48:04

so good job you didn't say that!

0:48:040:48:05

I'm sure she'll be watching this so, I mean...

0:48:050:48:08

No, I'm very excited about the next chapter of my life, you know?

0:48:080:48:12

And I'll certainly be taking a few tips from this man, you know,

0:48:120:48:15

as far as being a great dad

0:48:150:48:17

and I'm very, very excited about the next stage of my life,

0:48:170:48:21

you know, there's no doubt priorities have changed.

0:48:210:48:24

Family's first and golf's second for sure and, you know,

0:48:240:48:27

I feel very good about that

0:48:270:48:29

and in many ways I've probably never been, I've never been happier

0:48:290:48:33

than I am right now, regards just feeling personally really satisfied

0:48:330:48:36

and very excited about what's going on off the golf course

0:48:360:48:40

and, you know, Mum and Dad will look forward to spending much more time

0:48:400:48:45

in Florida with the grandchildren and it's good times.

0:48:450:48:48

Excited.

0:48:480:48:49

And I suppose, Rory, unlike these two, you're an eligible bachelor.

0:48:490:48:52

-Ireland's most eligible bachelor.

-Oh, yeah, that's the one.

0:48:520:48:55

It seems so, yeah.

0:48:550:48:58

Yeah, I'm taking a leaf out of G-Mac's book

0:48:580:49:00

and saying that golf is a single man's...

0:49:000:49:03

But, yeah,

0:49:030:49:06

I'm at the stage in my career

0:49:060:49:09

and the stage in my life where I'm really putting golf first

0:49:090:49:12

and, you know, golf is a priority for me right now

0:49:120:49:15

and, you know, for the foreseeable future that's what it's going to be.

0:49:150:49:21

We travel so much, we're never really in the same place for very long

0:49:210:49:25

so, you know, it is hard to keep relationships going

0:49:250:49:30

if you want to start one or whatever it is.

0:49:300:49:33

So golf is my girlfriend at the minute

0:49:330:49:35

and it's going to be that way for a while.

0:49:350:49:37

You going to be putting his phone number on the screen?

0:49:370:49:39

THEY LAUGH

0:49:390:49:42

-I think there might be meltdown.

-Possibly.

0:49:420:49:44

Aside from all your major success, the three of you have also won

0:49:440:49:48

the other biggest golf tournament, the Ryder Cup.

0:49:480:49:51

In fact, Irish golfers down through the years have had

0:49:510:49:54

unprecedented success in the global event.

0:49:540:49:57

Here are some of those magical moments.

0:49:570:49:59

COMMENTATOR: Christy O'Connor, second to the 18th.

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He's got the right club. Oh-ho-ho-ho.

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It's a good one. It's good. It's nearly in the hole.

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It's right up by the hole. It's all over. Jay Haas has conceded.

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Philip Walton has won the Ryder Cup back for Europe.

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Obviously the putt was the icing on the cake.

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To be in that situation and to hit as good a putt as I could hit

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at the right precise moment in time was special.

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I feel fortunate for that.

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A great memory of the celebrations afterwards.

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I think a lot of it is where we come from.

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The Irish are very proud of their sport, we all know that.

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That was special, but it was a great week.

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A very emotional week, obviously. A great week to be involved in.

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It was obviously a tough time with Heather passing

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just before the Ryder Cup.

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Then Darren playing and the way he played.

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It was great to have myself, Padraig and Darren on the team,

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25% of the team being Irish playing in our home country - special.

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He's a catalyst for all young kids to be involved.

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He's young, he's boyish, he's got that boyish enthusiasm about him.

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Young kids want to gravitate to be a Rory McIlroy.

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We all need role models in life.

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What a moment, what a putt.

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Graeme as well too.

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Graeme's been a real war horse

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and a real steadying influence over the last decade or so of Ryder Cups.

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He's been a big part of the successes we've had.

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It's Ryder Cup year.

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Are you excited about you two hopefully playing together?

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Yeah, I think we'd certainly love to reignite that Ryder Cup partnership.

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There's normally a queue out the door to play with Rory

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in the Ryder Cup, so I've been lucky enough to do it a few times.

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Obviously Ryder Cups are something that are very special to us.

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-How many Ryder Cups did you play, DC? Four, five?

-Five.

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They're just the most special, special golf tournaments.

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To play in Scotland... I watched this man play in Ireland in '06.

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Obviously the circumstances were kind of a little out there,

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but it was an extremely emotional tournament.

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Should the man sitting to both of your right,

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should he be the next Ryder Cup captain?

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-I think he might be.

-That's not up to...

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It's up to the committee to vote for that.

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Ah, there's a bit of player power in there too, DC.

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-A fairly large possibility.

-There is.

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I think for a Ryder Cup in the States, Darren is...

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I don't think there's any better candidate from the European side.

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He's absolutely loved over there.

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-They think he's a nice guy, don't they?

-They do.

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They don't know him, that's why. LAUGHTER

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No, but... Hugely popular in the US.

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They love the whole cigar smoking...

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I don't know if you're still doing that.

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-Yeah, yeah, all those silly, bad things.

-Exactly.

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But they love it, you know?

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He'll be just as well received in the US

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as probably the US captain will be.

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So it can only be an advantage for the European team

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if Darren was to lead us out in the States.

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What's next for you three?

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What are your ambitions now in the game of golf?

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Obviously the one that was just mentioned there

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would be a great honour for me to do that.

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I've had a, I would say, reasonably good career.

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I feel personally I should have won more tournaments than I did,

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but I was too busy having too good a time along the ride.

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But, you know, I'm pretty pleased. I want to keep on playing.

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As we touched on earlier, my golf hasn't been that good,

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but, you know, I'm still determined and still fighting on,

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still practising on. I want to keep on playing.

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I want to be out here watching these two keeping on winning tournaments.

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The bigger the better.

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I've no doubt that they will keep putting themselves

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right in there in majors.

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You know, it's only a matter of getting the right break

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at the right time for them to win more.

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That's always the case, isn't it?

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When it comes to majors, there's that back nine on a Sunday.

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The difference between winning one

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and not winning one is a lip-out putt or a lip-in putt.

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It can bounce here or it can bounce there.

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Like your second shot on 9 at St George's.

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Stuff like that, stuff happens.

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That makes a difference, but I have no doubt that these two

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will continue doing Northern Ireland proud.

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Do you think you'll continue to play the game of golf

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as long as Darren has now

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or will the buzz and the excitement have gone out of it by then?

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I couldn't imagine him on TV with that grey barnet looking...

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It would be a bit scary.

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It's funny. When I started my career...

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(There's a few grey hairs there.)

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There is a few greys, yes. LAUGHTER

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I am Gerry's son, by the way.

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I am Gerry's son, so there's a few in there.

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When I started my professional career at 18, I said,

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"There's no way I'm going to go past 40.

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"22 years on Tour, that's enough."

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Now, I'm like, "45". Maybe in a few years, "I'll go to 50."

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-I don't think you ever lose that...

-The will to win.

-Competitiveness.

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You'll be the same, you'll want to play cos you'll want to win.

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I'm thinking the same thing right now. I'm thinking 43, 45.

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I'd like to watch my kids grow up. But it's all... It's a drug for us.

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Being out there and competing - the adrenaline and the focus

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and just the will to win is like a drug for all sportsmen.

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I don't think any of the three of us will ever want to give that up.

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You learn to... When you learn to win...

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It's different for guys who have been on Tour for a long time

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and haven't won tournaments,

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but these two have won loads of tournaments, I've won a few myself.

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When you learn to win early, when you win tournaments...

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-You know what it feels like.

-..you know what it feels like.

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Winning that, it is like a drug, isn't it?

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Whenever you win a tournament, it's something that you want more of.

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That's why they'll probably end up playing a little longer

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than they think.

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But the thing as well, like, I don't know about these two guys,

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but, personally, I'm not very...

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Like, I wouldn't call myself a competitive person.

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I don't mind losing at a game of cards or a game of whatever.

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But golf is my vehicle to be competitive,

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to be able to win at something.

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Whether that means that I'll...

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-He's a good loser.

-LAUGHTER

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Not!

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Whether that means being competitive past the age of 50

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or up until 50, the great thing about golf is

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we can play until whenever,

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touch wood, being healthy, we can play until we want.

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That's the beauty about this game that we play.

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If you hadn't been a golfer, what would you have been?

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Something probably involved with speed.

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I have a bit of a need for speed.

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I was going to be a mechanical engineer of some description, so...

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I was going to go into golf club R&D engineering.

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That's what I thought I wanted to do.

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-Rory?

-A virgin.

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LAUGHTER

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You're not that good looking.

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-What would I have been?

-We'll edit that out.

-Yeah.

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Honestly, I don't know. We were joking about earlier.

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I left school when I was 16.

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Golf was always what I wanted to do.

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Outside of golf, what are you most proud of?

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My two boys.

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Yeah, I mean, I've got to say my family, really.

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Um...

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probably my charitable efforts, being able to give back.

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Finally, Padraig Harrington bet me £20

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that we could never get the three of you

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in the room at the same time.

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-Who is going to collect the money?

-You are going to go and collect it.

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And you're going to make sure we do it.

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-We'll get you on to the range tomorrow.

-You collect it.

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-We'll take you over to him.

-Thank you very much indeed.

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Let's hope for lots more majors in the future.

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The future of Northern Ireland golf is in great hands with these two.

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