'The greatest athlete Northern Ireland has ever produced': UUP leader calls for Rory McIlroy to be knighted after historic back-to-back Masters victories
Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows has called on Rory McIlroy to be knighted after his historic back-to-back Masters success.
McIlroy got his hands on his second successive green jacket on Sunday after a dramatic victory at Augusta.
In a pulsating final round, McIlroy composed himself after a poor start to retain the title by one stroke.
McIlroy was awarded an MBE for his services to sport in January 2012 but Mr Burrows feels the golf star now deserves a knighthood for his feats, which he labels as “the stuff of legend”.
He added: “To win the Masters once is extraordinary. To defend it places him in the rarest company in the history of sport. To have also completed the career Grand Slam, something only six men have ever done, confirms beyond doubt that Rory McIlroy is one of the greatest golfers of all time.
“But more than that, he is quite simply the greatest athlete Northern Ireland has ever produced.
“We are living in an era of a true sporting icon, a living legend. He is an ambassador for Northern Ireland and for the United Kingdom, representing us across the world with humility, professionalism and class.”
The UUP leader added how McIlroy “inspires people from every background and every community”, with his success also leading to increased golf tourism across the province.
“A knighthood is the highest honour our nation can bestow,” Mr Burrows continued.
"In Rory McIlroy, we have a figure whose achievements, character and contribution make the case overwhelming.
“It is time for King Charles III to recognise one of the greatest sportsmen these islands have ever produced.”