A quiet hum of anticipation turned to a full-throated roar at Holywood Golf Club on Sunday evening as locals gathered to watch their hometown hero, Rory McIlroy, tee off in the final round of the Masters.
With the sun breaking through the clouds over Co Down, and a sense of something momentous in the air, the club that helped shape McIlroy’s swing buzzed with pride ahead of him stepping onto the green.
Inside the clubhouse, all eyes were fixed on the television screens broadcasting live from Augusta National. The pint glasses clinked, the commentary murmured in the background, and the green-jacketed pressure of the Masters filled the room. Rory, chasing the elusive final leg of the career Grand Slam, was just 18 holes away from ending a more than decade-long wait for his fifth major.
Facing him across the fairways of Georgia is none other than golf’s mad scientist Bryson DeChambeau. The pairing has added drama to an already electric occasion after last year's US Open, where DeChambeau ultimately won by one stroke after McIlroy missed two short putts late in the final round. But for those at Holywood, this was less about rivalry and more about redemption.
"I think Rory's wise enough now to play his golf, not worry about what's happening around him, just stay focused on his golf, and then get the 18th hole and then get lifting the trophy," Holywood Golf Club Men's Captain Trevor Heaven told Belfast Live.
In every corner of the club, stories about Rory's early days were being swapped. Tales of his prodigious talent, the hours spent on the practice green, and the cheeky grin that hasn’t changed since he was a lad echoed louder than ever. It was clear that each person watching felt they had played a small part in the journey.
"I've known Rory since he was about 10 or 11, so for quite some time and followed him to a lot of the amateur tournaments he played in as well, so this is just excitement beyond what we could ever have imagined, and as Trevor says, we've waited a while for it, so we're hoping he'll get his green jacket tonight," said.
"There was always something very different about Rory's swing. I think maybe a lot of us thought with the right coaching and with the right determination [he could win the Masters], and he has certainly proved that he has that."
Though thousands of miles from Augusta, the atmosphere in Holywood was nearly as intense. From young juniors to pensioners who’ve watched Rory since he first picked up a club, it felt like all of Northern Ireland was willing him on, stroke by stroke.
And yet, beneath the tension, there was a realisation that regardless of the result, McIlroy’s place in their hearts was already secure. But make no mistake, a Masters win would mean everything.
A long-term fan of Rory, Martin Craigs, recalled the last time that he lost the Masters in 2014 and how he reacted in an unexpected way.
"Like so many people, we all feel Rory's almost family. But I was most impressed first by him after he lost 14 years ago. What I think people often forget is he then went to Haiti to help with a fundraiser for UNICEF after an earthquake.
"And when I asked where have you been, he said, I've been doing something more important than golf and I was rather captivated for a guy who was then only in his early mid-twenties, that he thought that laterally.
"We can see from all the wonderful memorabilia around here in Hollywood Golf Club, he's lived in that spirit ever since."
As the final putts roll and the shadows lengthen in Augusta, one thing is clear and that is no matter the outcome, Rory McIlroy’s roots remain deep in Holywood. But tonight, everyone there is hoping those roots stretch all the way to a green jacket.
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