When your only son is a prodigious talent at his chosen sport and already earmarked as the next big name in Irish golf, the conventional rules of parenting can sometimes get cast aside. For Gerry and Rosie McIlroy, parents of teenage sensation Rory, it's a case of supporting their son in whatever manner required so that he gets the chance to realise his full potential.

When visiting Rory and his parents at their Holywood, Co Down, home recently it took no time at all to realise the close bond between proud parents and their 16-year-old son. Better still, there is a sense of humour between the McIlroy's more akin to mates having banter over a pint in the pub, particularly when Rory and Gerry try to score points over each other with jovial personal jibes.

At one point Gerry attempts to draw information out of Rory about his new girlfriend for the benefit of their afternoon visitor. Undeterred, the teenager holds his own before quickly responding when his father's mobile phone starts ringing mid interview. As Gerry gets up to leave the living room to take the call Rory says "sure he wouldn't even know how to put the phone onto silent"! Had Rory not been blessed with such an exceptional talent he might well have been in school studying for GCSE's with his classmates at Sullivan Upper - just across the road from the McIlroy home - this particular autumn afternoon. However, it was decided earlier in the year that Rory would leave school to focus all his energy on playing golf.

"Rory has left school," explains Gerry. "We had several meetings with his headmaster Mr Stevenson and to be honest he was very understanding of Rory's situation. He said 'Gerry, look it's like this, opportunities like these don't come around every day. And if he needs to we can always arrange for Rory to sit exams another time if that's what he wants to do'."

"I was in Hong Kong in January, California and Spain in February then Portugal in March," adds Rory looking back on the beginnings of a hectic season where he virtually competed as a full-time amateur. "By the time Easter came around I was competing in the West at Rosses Point. By that stage I was lucky if I'd been in school for three weeks over a three-month period so I knew I was going to leave school then.

"It wasn't a difficult decision to make because at the time there were a lot of scenarios floating around, even the prospect of Rory turning professional was an issue," says Rosie, the more reserved of the two parents. "Besides, what are you supposed to say to your child when he has the chance to live his dream?"

An impression of understanding filled the living room, it was clear to see leaving school was the right decision to make and now the McIlroy family unit will be there to support Rory all the way, just like it always has done.

Rory was first introduced to golf by his dad when he would take his son up to Holywood Golf Club when playing club competitions. "Rory wouldn't have been much more than 18 months old when I first brought him to Holywood with me. Even at that young age he always wanted to swing a club so we got him one of those plastic kids' clubs," reminisces Gerry, who is a fine golfer in his own right. He currently plays off a one handicap and used to play off scratch.

"When the prestigious club championship is played one of the members runs a book, Rory was obviously favourite at 1 to 5. But I had a cheeky each-way bet on myself at 20 to 1. If I'd won I'd have held all the bragging rights at the club," jokes Gerry who is the bar manager at County Down golf club. As it turned out Rory won comfortably at his home course with rounds in the mid 60s.

Michael Bannon was the professional at Holywood during Rory's fledgling years, and he, like his close friend Gerry, remembers the talent Rory demonstrated for someone so young.

"I've known Rory ever since he was born. Gerry and Rosie used to live across the road from us and have always been good friends. The first set of proper clubs we got Rory was a cut down set of ladies Mizuno irons and from about the age of seven he was swinging at full length with considerable ease," notes Bannon, who to this day still coaches and acts as a mentor to the teenager.

"I've seen a lot of good players in my time but Rory's got a talent better than any of them. I played alongside the likes of Ronan Rafferty when he was emerging. Later on Raymond Burns was also a serious talent.

"And while Rafferty went on to be a great tour player he didn't possess the same natural technical ability Rory has.

"He's a good kid who has a wise head on young shoulders. Aside from his obvious talent he's very focused: no one works harder at the game than him. I remember once having to replace his wedge because he practised that much he nearly wore a hole on the face of the club.

"Rory has the talent to go to the top, but what he does with that talent, we just don't know yet," adds Bannon.

"Michael has been a huge influence on my golf ever since he started coaching me proper from the age of five. When I'm home I always make a point of getting over to see him. He's only up the road at Bangor Golf Club these days," says Rory.

"When Rory was nine years old he got an invitation to Doral in the United States to play in a Junior World event. He ended up winning it and everything started to spiral from there," says the proud father.

It was also around this time Rory met Darren Clarke for the first time when his dad took him to play Royal Portrush for his ninth birthday. "Darren was practising in Portrush at the time and that's where I first met him on my ninth birthday," says Rory.

"I met him again at the Darren Clarke Foundation when I was 13 and since then he's always been there to give me help and advice."

Clarke, like so many others, was quick to recognise Rory's talent and knows he is a star in the making. After all, Clarke was in the same position himself at that age.

Rory finds himself in the fortunate position that his parents have always been there to support him, even when it meant personal sacrifices where they had to "scrimp and save" to fund his travelling. He now has some comfort and support, just as others do, through the Darren Clarke Foundation.

This season Rory practically grabbed the headlines everywhere he went. With his wiry highlighted hairstyle, a flamboyant dress sense similar to Clarke plus the swagger of youth, this particular teenager was easy to spot on the fairways.

Attend any amateur event Rory played in and another clue to his whereabouts was easily found. All you had to do was look for the swollen crowds who flocked to see the talented plus-four handicapper in action.

Hardly surprising given that he became the youngest ever winner of the West of Ireland (15) and the Irish Close Championship after turning 16 in May, not to mention numerous scratch cups he won along the way. But ask the player himself what the year's highlight was and he refers to a particular round at Portrush.

"Obviously winning the West and the Close were highlights but shooting a flawless 11-under-par 61 in qualifying at the North of Ireland was special. I've been pretty low before like when playing Kingsbarns last year I was eight under after 12 holes," says Rory.

"But the 61 was the best yet. The round didn't look like it was going to be anything special at first, I was only two under after eight. Then all of a sudden I birdied nine, eagled 11 and birdied 12 to go six under.

"When I birdied 14 and 15 to go eight under, I stood on the 16th tee and said 'right lets go for it. Even if I drop a couple of shots it'll be worth it'. A six iron to six feet at 16 set up another birdie, 17 was an easy birdie, downwind at the par five. Then I knocked it into 15 feet at the last, and, in trying to just two putt I holed for a closing birdie.

"That is definitely my best experience on a golf course," he beamed recalling the round.

"Iremember watching the Open the same day Rory shot 61 and Clarke was doing his press conference. The hacks at St Andrews asked 'did you hear what your young prodigy shot at Portrush?' and Clarke replied 'Yes, I expect that from Rory' which I thought was a nice touch," adds Gerry.

There was a point in the season Rory could have played his way onto the Walker Cup team but in accepting invites to several European Tour events - British Masters and the Irish Open - he missed several key amateur events and was out of the running. Despite an opening 71 at Carton House there was no fairytale competing with the pros as he missed the cut in both tour events.

Despite much speculation over the summer Rory confirmed he will not turn professional until he is at least 18.

"I had many offers thrown at me but we decided there is no point in turning pro too early. There's no point in trying to become the best professional player in the world before you haven't become one of the best amateurs first. The plan is to try and make the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down and then we'll assess the options," says Rory.

With that notion he plans to use the next couple of years wisely and play in all the top amateur events, wherever they are in the world.

"I'm not being big-headed but sometimes competing here I feel I don't have to play my best to win. I want to test myself against the very best in the likes of the US and British Amateur Championships and other national events."

He will shortly travel out to Australia to play in the New South Wales Strokeplay and Matchplay events where Athlone's Colm Moriarty won back-to-back titles several years ago.

"Those are the type of events I will be targeting over the next two years plus I'll be involved in the GUI's Elite Programme during the winter. I honestly believe I could get my European Tour card through playing the Challenge Tour but that's not the way I want to go about it," says Rory content with his plan.

That said, the lifestyle of a leading professional undoubtedly appeals to the fan of rap artist 50 Cent, but all in good time. Still too young to drive, Gerry and Rosie tease their son that they have a Ford Ka lined up for him when he passes his driving test. All the while their son currently has notions on a more prestigious BMW.

"We're very fortunate with Rory, he's a great son and hope he has a bright future but right now he just needs to keep his feet on the ground and his head out of the clouds and focus on improving," says Rosie adding a morsel of reality to the exciting times ahead.