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McIlroy splits with long-time girlfriend

Golf: Rory McIlroy played last week’s British Open Championship having broken up with girlfriend Holly Sweeney.

Mon Jul 18 2011 - 01:00

Golf:Rory McIlroy played last week's British Open Championship having broken up with girlfriend Holly Sweeney.

The US Open champion’s management company issued a statement tonight saying: “Rory McIlroy’s long-time relationship with Holly Sweeney came to an amicable end before the Open Championship.”

The pair had a period apart earlier in the year, but 20-year-old student Sweeney, a cheerleader for the Ulster rugby team, was at Augusta to greet him after his hopes of winning the US Masters were crushed by a closing 80.

She did not attend last month’s US Open, where he claimed his first major title by an incredible eight shots and with a record score, but wrote on Twitter: “My fabulous boyfriend has played flawlessly all week!

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“Drink up Northern Ireland, he’s done us proud! Champagne flowing .?.?. Sooo happy for the curly one! 1st major down, millions to go!”

Last night BBC screened a documentary featuring the pair together on his return from Washington.

Sweeney met the world number four when she was 15 and was playing with friends at his club Holywood on the outskirts of Belfast.

On their earlier split he said: “I want to put this time into my golf. You’ve got to do what’s right for yourself.”

Their break-up was reported to have shocked family and friends at the time.

McIlroy was favourite for last week’s event, but his bid to become the youngest Open champion since 1893 ended with him in joint-25th position.

Fellow Northern Irishman Darren Clarke won the Claret Jug and has been seen as something of a mentor to McIlroy ever since the youngster attended his Foundation for juniors.

Stablemate Clarke was asked today what help he could still offer McIlroy and

said: “There’s lots of advice, but I’m not going to share it with you.

“I will share that with him in the coming weeks and what have you, but in terms of what he can do, he is as talented, even more talented, than anybody on the planet with what he can do with a golf ball.

“It’s just a little bit of maybe intuition, maybe a little bit of direction from his old mentor that will point in the right direction. He’ll be fine - he’ll be okay.”

The pair both play next at the Irish Open in Killarney starting on Thursday week.