Rory - Being Number One

If you ask anyone, they'll tell you that I was a dreamer.

I always thought big and dreamt of big things,

and winning big championships.

Deep down I always believed that I would get there one day.

March 4th 2012, the day when Rory McIlroy

officially became the best golfer on the planet.

It was the start of a remarkable record-breaking year

which would rival any in the history of the sport.

Major championship success, multiple victories

and millions of pounds of prize money.

But it was a year not without controversy.

First on the tee, representing Europe...

This is the story of Rory being number one.

Well done.

-RAP:

-They said we can't be entertained

And so we set up shop...

Rory McIlroy is one of the most sought-after sportsmen in the world.

It has been a very transitional period in my life in terms

of getting used to the extra attention, the extra scrutiny.

It's something that I've had to deal with,

and it probably took me a little bit of time to adjust to.

I feel like I've adjusted to it now and it's my normality these days.

Meeting the President at the White House,

it's sort of just become what my life is.

So many great new experiences, I wouldn't change it for the world.

I would love to be able to spend a few days and be anonymous,

but it doesn't quite happen.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be number one.

It's a great position to be in.

I feel like this is where I have always wanted to be.

I've always wanted to be one of the names at the top of golf

and I have got to that point now which is great.

I can't really dwell on it in any way,

I just have to keep looking forward and keep trying to improve,

keep trying to win big tournaments.

His girlfriend is Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.

We're just two normal... A 23 and 22-year-old,

having fun together and enjoying each other's company.

We don't get to see as much of each other as we'd like.

Obviously, our names pop up in the media every now and again,

but I don't think that bothers us.

Rory has been dating Caroline for over a year and a half.

Their busy schedules mean careful planning

and plenty of global travel if they are to spend time together.

But for one of sport's golden couples,

the air miles are worth it to watch each other play.

It's definitely a lot of effort, you want to make it work.

We are very happy and things are working out very well.

For me, I think it's great that we both have our own careers

so not one just waiting at home for the other one.

I know what he's going through,

and when he plays amazing I know how he feels.

Also, when he goes into a rough path, you know how that feels

and how to handle the situation

so definitely you can learn a lot from each other.

I think you can improve a lot on your game as well that way

because you can learn from one another.

As I said, if I play well again tomorrow hopefully

-we can get a chance at the weekend.

-Any more questions?

Young lady at the back, her face seems a bit familiar,

but I can't quite place her.

You obviously have unbelievable support this week, so, you know,

if you win this week, am I going to get a really nice Christmas present

and what am I going to get?

It's great, I've got my parents here, um...

LAUGHTER

Have you not already got a lot of nice presents, no?

I have been looking, I have been looking.

I don't think...

It won't take winning this week to buy you a nice present,

I think you'll get a nice present anyway.

That must be because I'm an unbelievable cheerleader.

You're a better tennis player.

'It's great that he's doing so well, and the dreams he's had

'since he started playing are coming true.

'It's just amazing to see that the hard work pays off.'

A professional golfer's season

revolves around the four major championships.

The first one every year is the US Masters

at the exclusive Augusta National club.

In 2011, Rory led the tournament after three days...

..before a now infamous final round collapse cost him victory.

In 2012, he again finds himself high up the leaderboard.

But his challenge quickly fades.

Despite becoming the second youngest player

ever to rise to world number one,

Rory isn't able to capitalise on his brilliant start to the season.

At successive tournaments he struggles

and by his own admission, he's taken his eye off the ball.

I was down, I got into a couple of swing faults, a couple of problems.

I had to work very hard to get out of them.

Harder than I had ever worked before on my swing to try and get back on track.

Even in that period there were still a couple of decent results.

I know there was the missed cuts in there,

but I still felt like there was signs of good golf.

I just had to be patient and wait for it to turn around.

I was actually going to the US Open in pretty good spirits.

San Francisco is the venue

for the second major championship of the season.

Rory is the reigning US Open champion

after a record-breaking victory the year before.

He's brought some of his friends from back home.

And before the golf gets underway...

..Rory is guest of honour at a Major League baseball game.

-Welcome, welcome to San Francisco.

-Thank you very much.

-Did you hit the balls today or no? A little bit?

-Golf balls?

-Yes.

Yeah. Not baseball.

-You must hit it miles, do you?

-I can hit it.

-I'm sure.

He's telling me to go this way.

As Rory's star status grows in America,

he's been invited to throw the ceremonial opening pitch.

Let it fly.

-TANNOY:

-The defending US Open champion Rory McIlroy!

The US Open is a sell-out.

Tens of thousands of golf fans are at the Olympic club

to see if Rory can defend his title.

-Rory, you can do it again.

-Thank you.

But he arrives against a backdrop of media criticism

and claims that his dedication levels have dropped.

Rory admits he's still trying to find the right balance

-between golf and his private life.

-Come on, Rory!

The more eyes that are on you, the more scrutiny you are going to come under.

Of course you are going to get criticism here and there,

people will be telling you, you know, how to fix your game

and what you should do to put it right.

You just can't really take notice of it all,

you just have to concentrate on what you can do.

Listen to the people around you that you trust

and trust that you have enough know-how

and enough ability to get through the bad patches.

I'm trying to be the best golfer I can be, but at the same time,

not letting that take over my life.

I want to try and keep somewhat of a normal life

and do the things any other 23-year-old would do.

We have a house full of six fellas, so it's good craic.

It's nice to have them around because they're taking everything in

and enjoying it.

They don't get to see what my normal day is like,

-they just know me from back home.

-Is that good for you as well?

Yes, it's great.

I walked back into the house yesterday

and they're all in the back garden in the Jacuzzi chilling having a few beers.

I was like, "I wish I could join you, boys."

But Rory again struggles to find his form and his rhythm.

He misses the halfway cut, his fourth in five tournaments.

It's a high-profile fall from grace and it would be easy to hide.

But Rory doesn't shy away and faces our cameras with typical honesty.

It was obviously very disappointing,

not the way I wanted this tournament to go.

I at least wanted to be here for the weekend,

that was the goal this morning, just to try and make it through to the last two days.

I don't feel that my game is that far away.

Rory's dip in form has prompted him to make a change.

He appoints the man who knows his game better than anyone

to travel and work with him full-time.

Hold on to that left hand.

Rory has been coached by Michael Bannon since he was a child.

As chartered by this previously unseen McIlroy family home video.

When I first saw Rory he was ahead of his time, really.

When he played with his peers, he was so far ahead of them.

At ten years of age he played like a 15 or 16-year-old.

He always had that jauntiness in his step

and it was great to see him walk up the fairways.

It was like tunnel vision.

He just loved the game, loved to get out and practise.

His mum and dad never pushed him to practise.

Rory had to pull them out on a cold Sunday evening

when the snow was on the ground at Blackwood driving range.

He wanted to practise.

He would practise, he would play, he would practise on the course

maybe when he wasn't allowed in Holywood.

He'd just practise late into the night.

The strike he gets on the golf ball hasn't changed,

but it's got faster and faster as he's got older and stronger.

When you look at the core of the swing, it's still there,

I recognise it from old videos even to today.

Nice job, Rory.

People ask me, what do you do when you're coaching Rory.

I look at everything.

We generally don't have to talk about everything,

we don't fix everything, but we check everything.

We have a good relationship.

If I feel something, I'll say to him, if he feels uncomfortable,

he'll say, "Michael we need to fix this." We do it together.

Another change was coming in Rory's life.

This is the house just outside Belfast

which he hoped would be his permanent residence.

But in the summer he puts it up for sale.

It is a 14-acre site with its own purpose-built practice golf course.

Rory's busy global schedule

means he is now rarely able to be in Northern Ireland,

but he does insist on making one special flying visit back home.

Holywood Golf Club is where it all began for Rory.

And he wants to help raise money for its young players.

You see the junior section here at the club and it's huge.

Come here in the summer holidays

and the place is filled with kids which is great to see.

Before going out for a round of golf,

especially depending on what golf course it is,

I'm trying to visualise the holes I'm going to play

and what shots I might need out there for that day.

One of my memories is Rory coming into my shop,

he'd lift up a scorecard.

He'd fill it out and at the top he'd have British Open

and he'd put his name in there.

He'd fill out this remarkable score of about eight or nine under,

sign the bottom of it and in the marker's column he'd signed Tiger Woods.

I used to spend every spare minute I had here in the summer holidays.

I'd be up here from 7.30 in the morning

until ten o'clock at night, basically.

I'd play 54 holes a day, it was just what I did.

Staying down and through it.

Oh!

He's a big inspiration to us all

and it's good to see what he's working on at the moment

and what kind of shots he's trying to hit, learn a few things.

Rory McIlroy is a massive inspiration,

probably the way Tiger Woods was a lot of years ago in American golf.

If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have so many juvenile members.

It's so good having him here, I really want to be like him,

it's just a dream to be like him. I hopefully could be.

Holywood's had a pretty good history of producing good players,

hopefully me being from here might inspire a few others coming up

and hopefully what I'm doing for the club will benefit them

in some way to become better players.

-Rory!

-Rory!

Rory prepares for the crucial second half of his season.

Caroline is with him in Northern Ireland

-to witness McIlroy mania.

-Can I have your hat?

As Royal Portrush stages the country's biggest tournament

in 60 years - the Irish Open.

Rory also shows an improvement in form at the spectacular venue.

But things still don't quite click at the third major of the season,

the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The Open is traditionally one of the biggest events

in the world's sporting calendar, but in 2012 it, and everything else,

is eclipsed as the Olympics come to London.

For Rory it's role reversal when he experiences

the Danish media circus that accompanies his girlfriend.

He's visiting Caroline, who's competing in the Games.

But Rory makes some controversial Olympic headlines of his own

after unguarded comments to a journalist.

A newspaper claims Rory wants to compete for Team GB

and not Team Ireland at the next Olympics in Brazil.

It was just a moment of, I don't want to say weakness,

but a moment of I guess frustration with it all and saying, right.

It's tough because people tune in to watch me play on TV

and they feel like they are connected to me in some way.

I don't want to repay them for their support

by doing something that they wouldn't want me to do.

I just think being from where we're from,

we're placed in a difficult position.

There's been sports people before me

that have been put in that same position before.

If I could, and there was a Northern Irish team,

I'd play for Northern Ireland. I feel Northern Irish.

Obviously, being from Northern Ireland

you have a connection to Ireland and a connection to the UK.

And it's a tough one.

I mean, I haven't made a decision,

it's still four years away, and whatever decision I make,

whether that's play for Ireland, play for Britain,

not play at all maybe just because they don't want to upset too many people.

Is that genuinely an option?

You might not play because you think you may upset people at home.

Yes, for sure it's definitely an option. I've got three options.

Either play for one side, or the other, or I don't play.

You know, they're the three options that I have.

And three options I'm considering very carefully.

When I do make a decision, it's going to be one

that I have thought long and hard about

and one that I feel comfortable with.

On the night the Olympics come to a spectacular close,

Rory is back making golfing headlines on the other side of the world.

-COMMENTARY:

-When he looks at a target with those eyes, he is so focused.

There is something special about the way he just looks.

A four-shot lead.

Now, the last nine begins for championship leader McIlroy.

He wins the final major of the year,

the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Six-shot lead.

I don't think we predicted on the severity of this golf course

that we were going to have a runaway winner.

Could you miss one, maybe? Just to make us feel better.

He's not going to do it.

This is for the all-time margin of victory in PGA Championship history.

To break Nicklaus' record of seven.

Yes!

The new ruler of the game of golf is Rory McIlroy.

It is my honour and privilege to present to you

the Wanamaker trophy as the 2012 PGA champion.

Rory rewrites the record books once again.

There was a few things written about me in the media during that time

where I wasn't playing so well.

People were very quick to write me off

after a couple of bad tournaments.

Getting criticism, especially criticism that you feel is unfair,

definitely spurs you on. It motivates you just to prove everyone wrong.

I knew if I stayed patient it would all turn around.

I went in with nothing to lose. I just wanted to go out and enjoy it.

I sort of had a bit of change in attitude as well.

Those bad weeks were getting me down a little bit,

I was getting hard on myself.

I had a change of attitude, I just wanted to go out and enjoy it.

Playing golf for a living is what I've always wanted to do.

It was my dream.

I'm living my dream, so there's no point in not enjoying it.

You've got to enjoy yourself out there

and that's what I started to try and do.

The major success sparks the start of a remarkable winning streak.

Three weeks later in Boston,

Rory clinches his third tournament victory of the season.

The Deutsche Bank Championship,

and another trophy secure and another 1.5 million prize.

And there was more to come in Indiana.

Rory wins the BMW Championship.

A second title in seven days, his third in four events

and yet another million dollars in the bank.

So, to the final tournament of the American golfing season.

All the top players are in Atlanta for the FedEx Cup play-off.

There's an incredible first prize of 10 million.

Rory arrives in pole position after his sensational run of form.

On this occasion he has to settle for the runners-up spot.

Still, he's done enough to win the US Money List

and be crowned the best player of the year.

There is also a bonus of yet another 3 million.

I never played golf for the money or to gain wealth from it.

I just played it because I loved it and I wanted to win tournaments.

You know, it just so happens there's a lot of money in golf these days.

I'm very fortunate to be able to play it for a living

and obviously make such a great living from it.

But none on offer next week, of course.

No, and probably more important than any of this.

The Ryder Cup is the biannual meeting between Europe and America.

There is only a famous trophy and pride at stake.

The Medinah Club in Chicago was the venue

and Rory prepares to spearhead the European challenge.

As world number one there are reminders everywhere

of his importance to the team.

Rory's gonna getcha.

How cool is that?

Rory lives up to his star billing on day one,

winning his opening match.

CHEERING

And he adds to the drama on day two.

His timing might just be perfect.

But Rory's timing is far from perfect on the final day as Europe trail America.

With only minutes to go until his match

with the USA's in-form player Keegan Bradley...

..Rory is nowhere to be seen.

I thought my tee time was 12.25 and not 11.25.

So from the start I was an hour late.

Caroline was in Beijing, I got up and I called her

and I was on Skype to her for maybe an hour.

I hung up from her with an hour and 45 to go before my tee time.

So it was perfect, hop in the shower, get dressed, get my stuff together.

No-one's seen him or heard him all morning.

Trying to work out what's happened to him.

At one point we thought he might have been kidnapped.

How do the US win the Ryder Cup?

Get rid of our best player.

We're calling his mobile and it's gone straight to voicemail.

Trying to get through to him and I couldn't.

I asked one of the girls to go up to his room with 40 minutes to go.

I got a phone call from my manager, he said to me,

"Are you at the golf course?" "No, I'm not, I'm just leaving my hotel room."

He said, "Rory, you're teeing off in 25 minutes."

I was like, "No, I'm not, I'm teeing off in an hour and 25 minutes."

He's like, "No, seriously. You're at the course, you're winding me up."

I'm like, "I'm not. I'm leaving the hotel right now."

Luckily they had a state trooper waiting for me downstairs

and we were able to bypass most of the traffic.

It was the most worried and most nervous and most panicked

I've ever been going to a golf course.

Not any warm up or any sort of preparations.

So I said to him, "Look, I have food in the bag and nobody will know.

"Come into the locker room."

I said just hang in the first six holes.

Keegan was running around the first tee two hours beforehand, so he'll burn himself out.

-Morning!

-Morning!

'The smiles and the laughs, they were for show.

'Inside I was so panicked and nervous.'

Another chapter in the book.

Get the job done today, brother.

'But, you know, I thought the only thing for me to do here

'is not to show Keegan how worried I am.'

Rory's pulse may be racing,

but he quickly shows why he is the world's best player.

Hello, hello, hello.

CHEERING

Luckily I was able to somehow win the point for Europe,

and not feel like I was responsible for the loss of the Ryder Cup.

Hey, buddy. Good job. Well done.

Rory helped Europe to the most remarkable

comeback in Ryder Cup history.

..that's from me for Christmas.

I was just trying to figure out time zones.

Everybody makes sure he doesn't forget his late arrival.

Clarkey!

CROWD: # Rory, what's the time? Rory, Rory, what's the time?

# Rory, what's the time?

# Rory, Rory, what's the time? #

It was just amazing that that happened,

and amazing he got there 11 minutes before his tee time

and went out there and won his game. The legend grows.

Whoa!

Rory's busy schedule continues.

A week after the Ryder Cup he arrived in Turkey

with Caroline to play in an invitational event.

There's massive hype around the tournament

which is being billed as a shootout between Rory

and the man who's dominated world golf for over a decade, Tiger Woods.

It is like a dream come true.

Playing alongside him and getting to compete against him,

I always had a putt on the putting green in Holywood

to beat Tiger in the British Open or the Masters or whatever it was.

To be able to go toe to toe with him,

hopefully for the next few years, is an exciting prospect.

Did you guys get in yesterday, or...?

Rory is set to go head to head with Tiger for the very first time.

Despite the blossoming friendship,

their box office rivalry is set to define golf over the coming years.

I think the first time I ever played with him

was at Abu Dhabi in a practice round.

Our friendship has certainly grown from there, but the more time

you're out here, the more time you're able to build a relationship.

Especially when you get paired with him a lot.

Some guys you never see, and other guys you seem to get paired up with

every other week you play.

Winning golf tournaments takes care of that.

It takes care of all the awards, player of the year,

money title and world rankings.

He won quite a few tournaments and he won a big one,

he won a major championship, hence he's number one player in the world.

In his real dominance, the early 2000s,

he worked harder than anyone else

and was more dedicated to the game than anyone else.

That's why he had the results that he did.

I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the stage that he got to,

but I'd like to think I'll still be able to play some really good golf

like I've shown over the last couple of years and keep this run going.

Two weeks later Rory and Tiger are again the headline act.

This time in the Far East.

For sponsors, they're the dream ticket

and if Rory is to stay at the top, the message from Tiger is simple.

Thanks, Tiger. Enjoyed it. Thank you.

It's delegation of time.

Time management skills are a must.

The reason why I got there is because I practised my ass off.

He's done the same.

Media, other requests, blah blah blah.

It starts taking time away from your preparations.

He's done a pretty good job of it,

he went through a spell this year where he didn't play well.

He went back home and just practised.

Lo and behold he turned it around.

Please welcome at 11-under par, from Northern Ireland,

the world number one Rory McIlroy.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Rory's year draws to a close in Dubai.

He has already become the second golfer ever

to top the Money List on both sides of the Atlantic.

But for good measure, this putt secures a victory

in the last event of the European Tour season.

CHEERING

I wanted to just finish off the season in style.

2012 has been a great season for me.

I thought it would be a shame to come here and just play,

and let the season end timidly in a way.

I wanted to finish it with a bang and I was able to do it.

I played some of the best golf I've played in a while out there.

Thank you, thank you.

-Congratulations.

-Well done, son.

-Well done. Well played.

-Thank you.

-Nice finish.

-I needed it.

'You can see there are a lot of people on the course watching him all the time.

'It's fun to play in front of a big crowd,'

but I think he stayed the same throughout the whole time,

that's the most important thing.

It really has been a day to remember.

'Five years as a pro, that was my 10th win.

'Two majors, world number one. I mean, I didn't expect it.

'I always had dreams and aspirations to get to this point.

'I never thought I could get there so quickly.

'It's been an incredible journey, I've had a lot of support

'and obviously support from back home in Northern Ireland.

'My mum and dad, my friends and family.

'It's great to share these moments with them.

'Every goal that I set myself this year I was able to achieve.

'I got to world number one.

'I won another major, I won five times around the world.

'I won the Race to Dubai.' Caroline.

'I guess more majors is the big thing for me.

'I've got two already and I'd love to make that three or four next year.

'So, that's the big goal going into next year.'

Try and obviously keep the world number one ranking,

try and keep it for as long as possible, but ultimately try and get

myself in the best possible shape for the majors.

In 2012 Rory McIlroy ascended to the top of the golfing world.

The question now being asked is how big can he become?

He's unequivocally number one and deservedly so.

His golf is of a standard that very few other people can match.

For Northern Ireland to have the number one ranked player

on the planet is a huge privilege for us.

He's only going to keep getting better and better.

I think he's really important to the world of golf.

Wherever he goes he conducts himself so magnificently when he plays.

We're very lucky to have him, I think Rory gives an awful lot back.

He doesn't just play brilliantly, he's a great young man.

Despite the success,

Rory McIlroy is still regarded as the boy from Holywood.

Is this not for Dad?

Now aged 23, he's about to sign a deal reportedly worth

around 250 million with sports manufacturer Nike.

But what remains important for Rory is always staying true to his roots.

'Looking back at videos like that, getting my first mobile phone...'

A mobile phone! Oh my God! Thanks.

'I know that I've come a very long way in a short space of time

'and I definitely feel like it's very beneficial to look back.

'And look back at how hard my mum and dad worked

'to give me this opportunity and I think it's very important

'to keep things like that in perspective.'

Oh yes! Oh, yes! Oh, yes!

'I'll always view Northern Ireland as home,

'my mum and dad are still there.'

I miss things like going to Ravenhill on a Friday night

or just going and hanging out with the boys,

playing five-a-side a couple of nights a week or whatever it is.

But that's just not my life any more.

That's the way it is, and I'm very happy with my life now,

I wouldn't change it for the world.

# You could be the hero

# You could hit the goal

# Breaking all the records they thought never could be broke

# Do it for your people

# Do it for your pride

# Never gonna know, if you never even try

# Do it for your country, do it for your name

# Cos there gonna be a day

# When you are standing in the hall of fame

# And the world's gonna know your name... #

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