McIlroys Snr and Jr embrace

No wonder Rory McIlroy gave his dad Gerry a hug on the 18th green before paying tribute to him in his victory speech at last week’s PGA Championship.

The 23-year-old Ulsterman decided to take a quick nap before the final round at Kiawah Island but very nearly overslept and missed his tee time with Carl Pettersson and Bo Van Pelt.

Had it not been for his father Gerry, who was wide awake, his day might have turned out very differently.

“It was such a long day,” said McIlroy, who showed no signs of tiredness once on the first tee after going on to rout the field by record-breaking eight-shots.

“I had been up at 5am to finish my third round so we were in position at 7.45am.

“One thing people don’t know is that I went back home and I only showed up half an hour before the tee time for the final round.

“I actually took a nap and my dad had t come and wake me up because I overslept. He said to me, ‘Rory, you realise you’ve got to play some golf this afternoon?’

“I didn’t know where I was. I was so tired.”

But the rest, as they say, is history.

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