Remember me
WHEN the Irish sporting year of 2025 is reflected upon in years to come, a number of moments will spring instantly to mind.
Troy Parrott’s last-gasp strike in Budapest to complete his hat-trick and grab a World Cup play-off spot.
An Irish-dominated Lions team completing a series win in Australia, sealed by Hugo Keenan’s superb score.
Katie Taylor putting up one of the best displays of her career at the age of 38 to beat Amanda Serrano for a third time at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Shane Lowry dancing a jig of joy after holing the putt to retain the Ryder Cup when it all looked to be going so horribly wrong for Europe on the Sunday at Bethpage Black.
And then there was the announcement that Belfast will host the qualifying draw for Euro 2028. What excitement that will bring.
Everyone’s stand-out moment will be different, but for me the two biggest things to happen to Irish sport in the year coming to a close both came on golf courses, thousands of miles apart both geographically and in style.
The spectacle of the Open Championship descending on Royal Portrush for the second time in six years after Lowry’s heroics in 2019 was a joy to behold for all of us lucky enough to be there.
Scottie Scheffler’s dominance over the weekend largely meant the 2025 renewal lacked the excitement of the long-awaited return of Major golf to these shores six years previously, but the fact it saw The Masters champion back on home soil made for a party atmosphere.
Scottie Scheffler celebrates with the Claret Jug after winning the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Rory McIlroy achieved golfing immortality in April by finally falling over the line and into a Green Jacket at Augusta, capturing a fifth Major almost 11 years after his fourth, in the process becoming only the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.
The roll call of those who have gone before him gives some insight into the size of the feat – Sarazen, Hogan, Player, Nicklaus and Woods.
There have been near misses around the most famous stretch of golfing real estate in the world before, most notably in 2011 when a 21-year-old McIlroy carried a four-shot lead into the final day before Amen Corner ensured any lingering prayers he had went up in smoke.
This time he was two clear after 54 holes, and as we settled onto our sofas on the evening of Sunday, April 12 the hope was that things would go smoothly and without incident.
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That McIlroy doesn’t do things in the serene fashion of Scheffler makes him compelling viewing, and a double-bogey at the first hinted we would not be in for a comfortable night.
He recovered to take a firm grip on the title before a terrible pitch into Rae’s Creek at the 13th opened the door for the chasing pack, led by Justin Rose.
After the ridiculous came the sublime, however, a seven-iron approach around overhanging trees and over water to the 15th green one of the greatest shots ever witnessed on the hallowed Augusta turf.
A birdie followed, and after another at 17 the Green Jacket, and true greatness, was tantalisingly close.
The Rory rollercoaster just had to take one more dip, a poor wedge into a bunker on the 72nd hole leading to a bogey and a play-off with Rose.
Mere mortals would have crumbled, but immortality was on McIlroy’s mind and somehow he regrouped.
Justin Rose congratulates Rory McIlroy after the Holywood man's play-off win at Augusta (Matt Slocum/AP) (Matt Slocum/AP) A sublime approach led to another attempt at glory. A three-footer to win The Masters. The putt dropped this time, and the emotions of all those near misses came flooding out.
“It was 14 years in the making, from having a four-shot lead (after three rounds) in 2011,” said McIlroy afterwards.
“There was a lot of pent-up emotion that came out on the 18th green and a moment like that makes all the years and close calls worth it.”
The reception the homecoming hero received from the moment he set foot on the property at Royal Portrush three months later left nobody in any doubt that this was a celebration.
In total 280,000 people rolled through the gates of the Dunluce Course over the course of Open week, the vast majority to cheer on McIlroy, the reaction of young fans to his mere presence leaving no doubt that he has inspired the next generation of golfers in Ireland and beyond.
Another Irish champion on north Antrim turf was what we all desired, and while McIlroy was on the fringes of contention for most of the four days, in truth there was only ever going to be one winner.
Rory McIlroy was the main attraction for most of the 280,000 fans who attended the Open at Royal Portrush (Peter Byrne/PA) While McIlroy is mercurial and mesmeric, Scheffler is metronomic, and the destination of the Claret Jug was all but decided going into the 36 holes, with Saturday’s play brought forward slightly due to a Sons of Ulster march in Portrush that night.
The atmosphere was still frenzied, and there were more than batons thrown into the air when a McIlroy eagle on the 12th briefly breathed oxygen into his dream of more Major glory.
The roar when his putt dropped was one of the loudest I’ve ever heard in person, rivalled only by the one that emerged when Scheffler duffed a bunker shot on Sunday, leading to a double-bogey on the eighth.
His shipped was soon steadied, and a routine victory was wrapped up by the world number one, who earlier in the week had suggested his pursuit of excellence “was not a fulfilling life”.
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As the Texan was left looking at the Claret Jug and searching for the point of it all, those flowing out through the gates knew exactly the point – world-class sport on our doorstep doesn’t happen very often, so we have to revel in it when it does, which makes it all the more galling that instead of Euro 2028 games to look forward to in Belfast, we get the qualifying draw.
Not so much the bonus ball but the booby prize. You can almost hear Jim Bowen saying “let’s take a look at what you could have won”.
Of course, 2026 promises to bring more sporting highlights.
Perhaps the play-offs will be negotiated and Irish fans from all over the island will descend on America, Canada and Mexico come the summer.
Andy Farrell may lead his men to Six Nations glory, while it would take a brave man to bet against McIlroy adding to his Major tally now the levee has been broken.
Yet, for breathtaking brilliance and unadulterated joy, 2025 really will take some topping.