Rory McIlroy celebrated his father Gerry’s birthday while playing golf with him at the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. His father turned 65 on Saturday, October 5, and on the beautiful day, the duo teed it up at the Old Course at St. Andrews. They joined the stellar field for this week’s DP World Tour event.
The 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship features an individual championship for the professionals and a team championship for amateurs playing with the pros. Rory and Gerry McIlroy paired up for the team championship.
During the third round of the tournament, Rory McIlroy opened up about playing by his father’s side on his birthday and said (via European Tour):
“It’s absolutely incredible. To stroll around the Old Course with my dad on his birthday – it’s always been nice. We’ve played the Dunhill many times together and it’s usually the week of his birthday,” McIlroy said.
“So we’ve done this a few times but to do it on his 65th, it’s a cool occasion and thankfully I’ve made a few birdies for his birthday. (My parents) have been my biggest supporters, my biggest fans. They’ve been absolutely amazing. They’ve been with me, obviously, every step of the way,” he added.
Notably, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship had a cutline for both individual and team championships after 54 holes, and only the players finishing above the cutline will tee off for the final on Sunday, October 6, at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Did Rory McIlroy and his father make the cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship?
Following the Saturday round of the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, only the top 20 teams made the cut and earned a spot for the finale on Sunday, October 6. Unfortunately, Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry missed the cut, finishing in a tie for 101st place at 19-under par.
The McIlroy duo had a rough start, shooting 5-under in the opening round of the team event. They played a bogey-free round on Thursday, followed by another bogey-free round on Friday, October 4, where they recorded six birdies.
In the third round, they shot 8-under 64, featuring seven birdies, an eagle, and one bogey, but ultimately failed to qualify for the final round in the team event.
However, Rory McIlroy did make the cut in the individual competition, tying for 40th place after the Saturday round and advancing to the final round on Sunday.
The finale of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is scheduled to start at 4:10 a.m. ET (9:10 a.m. BST), with Scott Jamieson, Dean Burmester, and Connor Syme taking the first shot of the day on the first tee hole. Yannik Paul, Jesper Svensson, and Louis Albertse will start their game on the tenth hole at 4:21 a.m. ET.
Rory McIlroy will tee off on the tenth hole at 4:54 a.m. ET (9:54 a.m. BST) in a group with Shane Lowry and Wilco Nienaber.
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