2025-04-18T08:00:45Z

---

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info English football legend Gary Lineker has been effusive in his admiration for Rory McIlroy following his captivating Masters victory. The former Leicester front man shared an anecdote about a serendipitous meeting with the Northern Irish prodigy decades before he pulled on the green jacket. Golf enthusiast Lineker was among the millions stuck to their screens as McIlroy triumphed over Justin Rose in a play-off to finally clinch the Masters on Sunday. And he revealed a chance encounter with McIlroy years ago came about thanks to another golfing luminary. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast (via Belfast Live), Lineker declared himself "a massive Rory fan" after co-host Micah Richards lauded the Holywood native's recent feat. The Foxes icon then reminisced about his days playing alongside Darren Clarke at Queenwood Golf Club in Surrey, where a certain rising star made a one-off appearance. "Many, many years ago, I used to play quite a lot with Darren Clarke, a great golfer himself," said Lineker. "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?' 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, 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' figures certainly back up the national interest, as they reported Sunday's final round was the most watched day in the broadcaster's history. A peak audience of 1.85 million were glued to their screens to watch McIlroy clinch victory at Augusta, with a staggering 37% of the UK's viewing public tuning in at some point during the day. (Image: The Rest Is Football) "Imagine the pressure on him because 'It's the one that's missing,'" added Lineker. "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!" Fellow football icon Alan Shearer joined in the chorus of acclaim, labelling Sunday's showdown "entertainment at its very best." Lineker then shared his own nail-biting experience of watching the tense moments unfold with his family, along with the emotional rollercoaster brought on by McIlroy's occasional stumbles. "Honestly, it was like somebody had lost their life on 13 [when McIlroy double-bogeyed]," he said. "[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." (Image: Richard Heathcote, Getty Images) The triad of ex-footballers also took the time to praise play-off runner-up Rose, with Shearer branding the Englishman a "class act." Richards went one step further, naming Rose as his "favourite" in the tournament after what might have been his most significant career triumph. In a conversation ahead of the tournament on Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips, Lineker backed McIlroy and proclaimed his desire to see him emerge victorious in Georgia. The England great professed that he would "love him to win it," also acknowledging he's a "massive fan" of the Holywood star. And it turns out they first met around two decades ago, courtesy of Clarke. That encounter gave Lineker an early glimpse of who would become possibly the finest golfer of his era, a story that came full circle when McIlroy finally donned his maiden green jacket.