Rory McIlroy has insisted that ignoring Patrick Reed on a Dubai driving range was perfectly legal, following reports that the American had thrown a golf tee at the world No. 1 in disgust. Reed served McIlroy with court papers on Christmas Eve at his Florida home, according to McIlroy.

Reed approached McIlroy on Monday at the Dubai Desert Classic, but the Northern Irishman ignored him. McIlroy was not aware of any subsequent object-throwing but used his pre-tournament press conference to explain his position on Reed.

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Who is Rory McIlroy?

Rory Daniel McIlroy MBE, born on May 4, 1989, is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who competes on both the European and PGA Tours.

He was born to Rosie McDonald and Gerry McIlroy in Hollywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. He attended St. Patrick’s Primary School before moving on to Sullivan Upper School. His father, who coached him, introduced him to golf at a very young age.

McIlroy, then 15 years old, competed for Ireland in the 2004 European Boys’ Team Championship as well as for Europe in the 2004 Junior Ryder Cup victory against the United States in Ohio.

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He won both the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship in 2005, becoming the event’s youngest-ever winners. On September 18, 2007, the day before the Quinn Direct British Masters, McIlroy became a professional. International Sports Management acquired his services.

McIlroy achieved his highest world ranking of 50 after finishing second in the UBS Hong Kong Open in November 2008. He finished the 2008 calendar year ranked 39th in the world after finishing joint third in the South African Open. This earned him a spot in the 2009 Masters Tournament. His first professional victory came at the age of 19 when he won the Dubai Desert Classic on 1 February 2009, propelling him to 16th in the world rankings.

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On full shots, McIlroy uses an interlocking grip. Since he was a child, he has worked with a number of professional golfers, including Darren Clarke, Nick Faldo, and Graeme McDowell. McDowell frequently joins McIlroy for practise rounds at Tour events.

McIlroy began dating Erica Stoll, a former PGA of America employee, in 2015. They got engaged in Paris in December 2015 while on vacation. They married at Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo, in April 2017. Poppy Kennedy McIlroy was born in September 2020 to the couple.