Update: Gary Lineker shares brilliant Rory McIlroy story that speaks volumes for Masters winner News

Rory McIlroy ended his wait for a maiden Masters title by beating Justin Rose in a play-off at Augusta on Sunday – and Gary Lineker is full of praise for the Northern Ireland hero.

Gary Lineker has been effusive in his praise for Rory McIlroy’s “mesmerising” Masters victory.

The former England footballer shared an anecdote about a serendipitous meeting with the Northern Irish golf sensation back when he was just a promising youngster. A passionate golfer himself, Lineker was gripped along with countless others as McIlroy triumphed over Justin Rose in a thrilling play-off to conquer Augusta at last.

It was through another titan of the greens that Lineker had the fortune to encounter McIlroy years earlier. On The Rest Is Football podcast, co-host Micah Richards lauded McIlroy’s recent success; prompting Lineker to express his admiration, dubbing himself “a massive Rory fan”.

He reminisced about his days playing with Darren Clarke at Queenwood Golf Club, in Surrey, where he first met a young prodigy who would go on to dominate the sport. Lineker recounted: “Many, many years ago, I used to play quite a lot with Darren Clarke, a great golfer himself. And he said; ‘Can you play tomorrow’? I went; ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m around’.

“And he said; ‘I’ve got this young boy coming who’s gonna be the next giant of golf’! I said; ‘Really’? And he went; ‘Yeah, a 14-year-old’. So I get there, and it’s Rory, Rory McIlroy. So I played with this kid. Oh, my god.

“This tiny little kid, at 14, and he was just ripping it. He shot like 69 or something, from the back tees! So I’ve always followed his career subsequently, and he’s had so many ups and downs. I think the whole nation was desperate for him to do it [win the Masters].”

Sky Sports reported that Sunday’s final round was its most viewed day in the broadcaster’s rich history. A peak audience of 1.85 million tuned in to see McIlroy clinch victory at Augusta, with approximately 37 per cent of the UK’s viewing public tuning in at some point during the day.

“Imagine the pressure on him because; ‘It’s the one that’s missing’.” Lineker continued. “And then you get people over the years saying; ‘Aw, he’s a choker’. Absolutely [not], they have no idea, no idea what it must be like to undergo that kind of pressure. And to come through all that, and with so many ups and downs on the final day.

“It was the most mesmerising, horrific, torturous watch that I’ve ever done. But, in the end it was completely magnificently magical!”.

Lineker went on to recount watching the drama unfold along with his family – not to mention the emotional rollercoaster brought on by McIlroy’s occasional stumbles.

Reflecting on the drama, he continued: “Honestly, it was like somebody had lost their life on 13 [when McIlroy double-bogeyed],” before re-enacting his reaction by pretending to pull his hair out in frustration. However, the mood shifted drastically as McIlroy clinched the win, with the group erupting into jubilation.

“[Imitates pulling hair out] ‘No, no! What’ve you done? You could’ve put it anywhere’!

“But at the end, it was like Leicester won the league again! We were all dancing around, all of us hugging and crying! It was beautiful watching.”

Before the tournament, Lineker expressed his support for McIlroy during an appearance on Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips. The former England star revealed he would “love him to win it”, and confessed to being a “massive fan” of the Northern Irish golfer.

The connection between Lineker and McIlroy dates back around 20 years – owing to Clarke – who played a role in introducing them. This chance encounter gave Lineker an inside perspective on the golfer who would eventually become one of the greatest of his generation – a notion solidified by McIlroy’s long-awaited first Masters triumph.