Former One Direction singer Niall Horan is an avid golfer, and has described the emotional response he had 10 years ago when the iconic Rory McIlroy asked him to be his caddie at the Masters
Musician and former One Direction star Niall Horan joked he nearly burst into tears when Rory McIlroy asked him to carry his bag at the Masters. The Irish singer is renowned for his passion for golf and holds membership at Wentworth, the host of the BMW PGA Championship.
Competing at the Surrey venue this week, where Horan has participated in Pro-Am events on multiple occasions, has been none other than reigning Masters champion McIlroy.
The pair have met previously, and during Horan’s peak years with One Direction, a message from McIlroy asking whether he’d serve as the Northern Irishman’s caddie at the Masters’ annual Par-3 contest nearly moved him to tears.
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Speaking on the Fore Play podcast in 2023, Horan revealed details about McIlroy’s request, which arrived almost a decade earlier. Horan said: “He just texted me like a week before. He said do you fancy carrying the bag for the Par-3.
“I was like, let me start crying. The old Irish thing has this connection. I guess, sure, and we have got a lot of mutual friends beforehand and we knew each other quite well.”
Sadly for Horan, the experience concluded in relative catastrophe. After serving as McIlroy’s caddie for the majority of the round, he was permitted a shot on the ninth and final hole, but dragged it into the water.
To compound his troubles, he then dramatically toppled over on the same hole. He told reporters at the time: “My right arm got stuck on my chest and I pulled it across and it wound up in the drink on the very left. Any other day I would have found the green but there’s a lot of pressure out there.
“It’s very different,” added a 21-year-old Horan. “I do perform to a lot of people but I’m performing to their parents today. It’s a very different crowd.”
Horan has returned to the legendary Augusta National numerous times since this mishap, even playing the course occasionally. Earlier this year, speaking before the competition that McIlroy went on to win, Horan revealed his passion for golf and the Masters.
“When I was very young. Watching Tiger [Woods] win here [at Augusta] multiple times was a big help, Sunday red here at Augusta with those big roars through the TV,” he told The Masters Tournament.
“Being from Ireland was a big help with some great players with [Paul] McGinley and [Padraig] Harrington. Once you’re in, you’re in,” he continued.
“I have fortunately played this course on multiple occasions. I have birdied 13 a couple of times, which is exactly what you want to do when you’re down there. When I’m here I don’t really care how I play, but just happy to walk around and take in the history.
“I always say do you remember when Bubba [Watson] hit that shot from the trees on 10 or Phil [Mickelson] hit that crazy shot from the trees on 13. That never gets old. But there was a moment that was unreal one day. We were coming up No. 8. Me and a friend of mine had hit the second shot left into the trees there.
“As we were looking and waiting for a group on No. 2 to walk by, we realised it was Jack [Nicklaus]. And he was wearing a yellow shirt. And he was walking down the hill. That was just an amazing moment. The Bear himself.”
