Rory McIlroy's former principal, John Stevenson, has opened up on the golfer's time at school following his sensational victory at the Masters on Sunday.
The 35-year-old ended an 11-year wait for a major with his triumph at Augusta, with the Northern Irishman defeating Justin Rose to etch his name into the history books.
McIlroy was pushed all the way by his English rival but, in the end, was able to achieve the career Grand Slam via a dramatic play-off.
]Long before he became a sporting legend, however, the Northern Irishman attended Sullivan Supper School in his homeland.
Rory McIlroy's former principal, John Stevenson, has opened up on the golfer's time at school following his sensational victory at the Masters on Sunday
REUTERS
And Stevenson, writing for the Belfast Telegraph, has now admitted that he was 'concerned' about McIlroy prioritising golf as a youngster when he had educational responsibilities, too.
"There is an inherent danger with all sporting ambition requiring great dedication, time and commitment: the possibility of going so far that, if it falls apart, the lack of educational qualifications effectively rules out alternative career pathways," he said.
"It makes good educational sense to keep as many doors open as possible, and I was concerned that Rory’s single-minded pursuit of his golfing goals was firmly closing all the other doors.
"Well, it soon became apparent with his many achievements that I might not have worried, and his recent Masters and career Grand Slam successes confirm he didn’t need those GCSEs after all."
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Stevenson also revealed that Gerry McIlroy, Rory's father, asked for special permission so his son could miss school for certain periods at a time.
"Gerry McIlroy came to my office at Sullivan Upper School to talk about future arrangements for his son, Rory, who was about 14 at the time," he recalled.
"Rory had been doing rather well at 'the golf' up to then but further opportunities beckoned that meant, going forward, he was likely to be away from school for considerable periods of time.
"As he was about to enter year 11 and embark on his studies for GCSE, this presented something of a dilemma.
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Rory McIlroy celebrates with his wife and daughter after winning the Masters
GETTY"Sullivan Upper is and was a selective grammar school, and we focused a lot on academic achievement. It would be unusual, to say the least, to allow a pupil significant absences from school, especially over these two important years.
"Gerry understood this but then said something important that made me sit up and take notice.
"He said he knew what I was thinking. He said I probably thought he and his wife, Rosie, were pushy parents. Maybe he was right, and I thought that might be the case. Then he went on to convince me that I was mistaken.
"'It’s all him,' he said. 'It’s all driven by him.'"
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Sullivan was then faced with a dilemma. Did he allow McIlroy to go? Or did he say no and run the risk of the golfer leaving.
In the end, he went with the former.
"Gerry understood my predicament, wanted his son to stay at the school where he had friends and was comfortable and doing well but, now, in addition would be allowed to miss a lot of classes over two years," he said.
"Rory was a bright student, but nobody passes their GCSEs without instruction. If we could not find a solution, they might have to move him to another less academically-focused establishment.
Rory McIlroy achieved the career Grand Slam when he won the Masters on Sunday
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"Faced with this situation, my thoughts turned to the legendary Northern Ireland footballer George Best. He too was a very talented sportsman who had been admitted to a local grammar school.
"However, there he was not allowed to play football, and transferred to another school after a year. I tried to focus on what was best for my student rather than what was best for the school."
All these years on, and McIlroy's decision to prioritise golf has paid off. What he achieves next, having already won so much, remains to be seen.
