Rory McIlroy was said to have been the third-best amateur player in Sir Nick Faldo’s organisation, with two players seen as better prospects than the Northern Irishman in the early 2000s
Golf legend Sir Nick Faldo admitted that he once regarded Rory McIlroy as the third-best amateur in his organisation, despite his rise to become one of the game’s greats. The Northern Irishman clinched his coveted fifth major title at last month’s Masters in a sensational playoff showdown with Justin Rose.
The 36-year-old’s dramatic Augusta win not only completed his collection of major trophies but also highlighted a journey marked by steadfast dedication to golf since childhood.
Regarded as a prodigy in amateur circuits, McIlroy made a name for himself in the Faldo Series, the Brit’s initiative, which he started in 1996 to nurture young talent within the sport.
Among several renowned graduates, Faldo recalled almost two decades ago when McIlroy wasn’t yet a household name: “I had this thing called Team Faldo and I took six or eight of them to California,” he told The Times.
“James Heath was the best amateur, Ollie Fisher was there. Rory was like third back then, but I remember I played with him in a practice round at Carnoustie [in 2007].
“It was pouring down with rain and he put all his waterproofs on and then he made that famous follow-through and I went: ‘Blimey, that’s different.’ That was the first time [I knew he was special].” Oliver Fisher, 36, was a highly skilled amateur and managed to clinch the Faldo Series three times in a row from 2003 to 2005.
Despite being one of the most promising talents of his generation, his professional career hasn’t quite lived up to his early promise, with his only tournament win coming at the Czech Open on the European Tour in 2011.
More recently, golf enthusiasts had the chance to watch him compete in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022, where he played alongside several major winners such as Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Much like Fisher, James Heath, 42, was a frequent winner on the amateur circuit, bagging the English Amateur and Lytham Trophy, before turning pro in 2004.
A regular on the European and Challenge Tour, Heath has secured three tournament wins with his most recent victory in 2016 at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge when he beat PGA Tour star Ryan Fox.
Faldo expressed his belief that McIlroy would secure 10 major titles after collecting four in a four-year period, but insisted his Masters victory could spur the golfer on to earn several more majors.
“He obviously got off to a flyer with those first four majors,” he commented. “I remember I said then he might be really disappointed to only win ten majors, or he will be ecstatic to win five,” he says. Tiger [Woods] and [Ben] Crenshaw both had big gaps [also 11 years], but only won one more.
“Rory is 35, he’s as fit as a fiddle, and you’ve got to believe he’s really shaken the monkey off his back. I would’ve thought it’ll set him free and he might be the unique one to go on and win [multiple] more majors.”
He confessed that McIlroy’s victory at Augusta left him teary-eyed as he explained the emotional and mental toll the golfer would have endured when consistently coming up short at the Masters.
“I did get teary because I kind of know that walk off 18 and realising what he’d done, people don’t appreciate the workload that has gone into that physically, technically, mentally. You spend thousands of hours and hit millions of balls to reach your goal, and a heck of a goal it was.”
