A charity from Northern Ireland has praised golfing superstar Rory McIlroy as they addressed rumours that the Holywood sensation had handed over his entire Masters windfall to their organisation. McIlroy achieved a career grand slam on Sunday, edging out Justin Rose in an edge-of-your-seat playoff at Augusta National.
This victory not only netted the 35 year-old the famed Green Jacket but also a cool £3.1million in prize money.
That has led to speculation online that McIlroy has subsequetly bestowed his earnings upon Mencap, an organisation dedicated to helping thousands with learning disabilities lead the lives of their choice.
This isn’t the first time such speculation has arisen—chatter was rife following his £3.2m haul at the Players’ Championship last month. Yet, Mencap NI set the record straight on Wednesday with a statement declaring the reports as “not accurate”.
Mencap’s Executive Director Strategy, Jackie O’Sullivan, stated: “Rory McIlroy has been a tremendous supporter of Mencap, supporting the build of our children’s centre in Belfast a few years ago.
“However, we would like to clarify that reports stating he donated winnings from a recent tournament to Mencap are not accurate.
“While we remain immensely thankful for his ongoing support and commitment to our work, we’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his smashing victories.”
McIlroy has been a long-time supporter of Mencap, and previously donated £500,000 to the charity. The significant sum was pledged by the Rory Foundation to help build the Mencap Centre in Belfast in 2016.
The centre, which officially opened its doors in March 2016, received partial funding from the Big Step Forward Appeal, marking Mencap NI’s most ambitious fundraising drive ever.
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During a visit back to his homeland, McIlroy took the opportunity to drop by the centre. At the time, Margaret Kelly, the director of Mencap Northern Ireland, expressed her excitement: “It was so exciting to show Rory around the Mencap Centre today and I know all of the children and families in attendance loved meeting him.
“The £500,000 donation from the Rory Foundation was a huge part of our success with the Big Step Forward Appeal and was vital in reaching our goal of £1.7million.”
She further highlighted the impact of the centre: “Now that the Mencap Centre is up and running, it is already changing the lives of the children with a learning disability who attend our nursery and it also serves as a resource and a gathering place for young people and adults with a learning disability and their families.”
Kelly also acknowledged the significant role played by McIlroy’s foundation: “The Rory Foundation had a big hand in making this important centre a reality and we can’t thank Rory and his team enough for their generosity.”
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