To no one’s surprise, Rory McIlroy was selected as the Player of the Year on the PGA Tour today. After his impressive 2012, Rory certainly has much to look forward to in 2013. His journey to being the top player in the world has been told many times. His parents made many sacrifices and worked multiple jobs to fund his golf aspirations. However, Michael Bannon was the one who taught Rory his swing and continues to mentor him today.
Although Rory’s dad, Gerry, taught him the basics, it was Michael Bannon who was mostly responsible for nurturing Rory’s game to the way it is today. Michael was a former club pro from Northern Ireland and his relationship with Rory McIlroy began 15 years ago in Holywood Golf Club near Belfast. Michael was not just any club pro though as he has enough game to go into a playoff with Padraig Harrington in the 1997 Irish Professional Championship. It was a playoff he eventually lost but that’s not a bad thing to have on your resume! Today, Michael continues to mentor the number 1 player in the world. It was him who helped Rory break out of his mid-season slump this past season! Read more about Michael Bannon and Rory in this BBC story!
Source: BBC Sport Golf
