Honey, we're backing the kids

FEATURE: THE PARENTS' ROLE: PAUL GALLAGHERtalks ot parents of golf prodigies who have made the ultimate sacrifices for their loved ones

SOME PARENTS go the extra mile for their kids. In the case of Robert and Louise Meadow it was more a huge leap of faith as they upped sticks and moved to the States so their only daughter Stephanie could live the dream of one day making it on the LPGA Tour. For Gerry and Rosie McIlroy, they worked every hour they could to afford Rory the best possible opportunity to make it in the game.

The fact these two sets of parents of only-child prodigies lived little over 10 miles apart at one point is mere coincidence. The McIlroys still live in Holywood on the outskirts of Belfast, while the Meadow family resided in Jordanstown, four miles across Belfast Lough – as the crow flies – before making a permanent move to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina in 2006.

Stephanie is 17 and one of the top-ranked students at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) and 38th in the American Junior Golf Rankings (AJGA). The academy was renamed when Haney, Tiger Wood’s coach, came on board in spring 2008 and plays a hands-on coaching role with the 158 students enrolled there. (The Heritage Academy is the academic partner of the Hank Haney IJGA).

It’s hard to believe Rory is only just out of his teens – he turned 20 yesterday – for his meteoric rise in world golf has been so swift and already well documented. Not long ago he dreamt of competing against the world’s best, now the world number 18 is living that dream since turning pro in 2007 after playing off plus six. This is only the beginning of what promises to be a long and rewarding career.

Although Rory is a few steps further down the road than Stephanie, the pair didn’t simply arrive at this juncture. Along the way huge sacrifices and crucial judgments regarding education were made by both sets of parents. They weren’t easy calls. For Rory all the dedication appears to have paid off, while only time will tell for Stephanie.

Dedication and commitment is the common ground between the McIlroys and the Meadows yet their journeys are hugely contrasting.

“I was working 90-100 hours a week doing three jobs and Rosie worked nightshifts to earn extra money, because even at that early stage we knew we’d have to save up to take Rory away,” explained Gerry McIlroy, while sitting in the clubhouse of Holywood Golf Club.

“Sunday was my only day off but every week Rory and I would go to Blackwood Driving Range and hit 200 balls at 8.30am. I then came up to play 18 holes at Holywood and Rory would practise his pitching and putting. He was only six or seven at the time.

“After dinner I’d be relaxing in the evening, watching TV, and every time Rory would come and say ‘Da, will you take me up to the range?’ Sunday was my only day off after knocking my pan in all week. I’d say ‘Rory son, we’ve already been to the range why not go and play with your mates for a while?’ ‘Do you not want me to get any better?’ was young Rory’s response and to this day that line has stuck with me,” explained Gerry.

“We never pushed him. I always wanted Rory to play other sports like football, gaelic or tennis. He was a good footballer and we wanted him to play team sports so he could mix with other kids. But he always came back to golf.”

The formative years for Meadow took a different road and the draw to the States became very real. “Stephanie did extremely well competing in Ireland but her ultimate goal is to play on the LPGA Tour,” explained Robert Meadow, speaking from his home on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

“For her to get to that stage we felt it was a good idea to bring her over here so she could compete against the best players in the world. There’s no doubt it’s expensive to bring her here and let her do this but she’s our only daughter.

“Gerry and Rosie have made big sacrifices and I suppose we have too but we just feel Stephanie has a chance. Look, these are the risks you take but we felt it was the right move.

“When we discussed the potential move, we did it as a family,” added Robert, who along with Louise travels the country to take Stephanie to all the leading junior events in the same way Gerry travelled the length and breadth of Ireland and beyond during Rory’s amateur days.

Last week Stephanie won the highly-ranked AJGA tournament, The Cliffs Championship at Walnut Cove, North Carolina, where Woods is also designing a course. She shot an opening one-under 70 followed by a course record 67.

Next month Stephanie will compete in her first professional event after receiving an invite to the Ladies Irish Open at Portmanock Links.

The advice and support of the respective headmasters played key roles in Rory and Stephanie’s development too. Former international rugby referee Stephen Hilditch was Stephanie’s headmaster at Belfast High School.

“Before we came to the States Mr Hilditch gave invaluable support. He said no matter where Stephanie goes she’s got the brains and the talent to do well. He supported us throughout, that was very important because he also advised on the academic side of things in the States,” added Robert.

Stephanie graduates from the Hank Haney Academy next year and had all the top universities courting her before agreeing to attend Alabama University.

In Rory’s case the McIlroy’s faced a dilemma when he was selected to compete in the Faldo Series in China in the lead up to his GCSEs in 2006. Unsure what to do, Gerry drafted a letter to John Stephenson and gave it to Rory to give to his headmaster. Within an hour Stephenson called Gerry for a meeting.

“Rory’s not going to be a dentist, a doctor or a solicitor, his mind is not on schoolwork, he’s good enough but his thoughts are elsewhere. Rory will be home this afternoon,” Gerry recalls the conversation with Stephenson. “But remember one thing if it doesn’t work out, come back to me and I’ll sort things out with the education board, leave that to me.”

“By lunchtime Rory was home and he thanked us both,” added Gerry. “He went and played in the Faldo Series and that was a pivotal moment, the gateway to the start of Rory playing fulltime amateur golf.”

To this day Rory is coached by family friend and former Holywood pro Michael Bannon, who has been involved from the beginning. “Michael got involved when he started making proper clubs and had them cut down from when he was eight,” said Gerry, who got an indication of Rory’s talent when they saved up and took him to Doral where he won the World Under-10 championships.

“We still didn’t know how good he was but he shot level par for two rounds, won by six shots and caught the eye of renowned coach David Leadbetter, who followed him round the course. From the age of 10 to 13 we spent five weeks every year in America taking Rory to all the major junior events. It cost us a fortune but we never took proper holidays.”

Stephanie honed her skills at Royal Portrush and Ballyclare Golf Club under the tutelage of Margaret Baird, who was a “big influence”. Jim Robinson, now the pro at Rosses Point, was Stephanie’s first coach before the new pro at Ballyclare, Alan Johnson, recognised her talent.

“When Alan left for England after four years Stephanie was coached by David Kearney, then the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU) head coach,” explained Robert. “We had a long chat with David about moving as well.

“We tried to talk to as many professional people as we could – and he’s one of the best coaches in the country – because it was a heck of a big decision to make.

“David didn’t hesitate. He said you have to go for it and that was great inspiration for us.”

There tends to be divided opinion on how much influence parents should have on their children with exceptional sporting talent.And while the McIlroys and Meadows have been entirely devoted to their only children, at no point do they appear to have coerced or cajoled their offspring, rather they have provided unwavering support.

“If we hadn’t put the effort into Rory, we wouldn’t have known what could happen,” reflected Gerry. “It’s easy to look back now and say all right, Rory got lucky and has done well. But that’s the bit that makes us happy, for us it was very important we put the effort in and gave him the best opportunity.

“He’s our only child so what are you going to do?”

Rory McIlroy

Age: 20.

Born: Holywood, Northern Ireland

Turned pro: 2007 (plus six).

World Ranking: 18.

Race to Dubai: 4th (€938,234)

Professional wins: (1) Dubai Desert Classic – (64,68,67,70 – €323,514.99).

Stephanie Meadow

Age: 17.

Born: Jordanstown, Northern Ireland.

College: Hank Haney Academy (IGJA), Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Handicap: +2.9 (US), 0.1 (Ireland).

Most recent win: Apr 24th-26th, 2009 AJGA Cliffs Championship — Walnut Cove, North Carolina (70, 67)