A Northern Ireland charity has shut down rumours that Rory McIlroy gifted his entire Masters winnings to their organisation. The golf star clinched the career Grand Slam on Sunday, edging out Justin Rose in a nail-biting playoff at Augusta National and at last securing the coveted green jacket. The victory netted the 35-year-old a staggering $4,200,000 (£3.1m) prize fund.
In the wake of his win, whispers began circulating online suggesting McIlroy had generously donated the massive prize sum to Mencap, an organisation dedicated to helping thousands with learning disabilities shape their own lives. Such conjecture isn’t new; it similarly bubbled up when he seized the $4.5m Players’ Championship the previous month.
Yet, Mencap NI cleared the air with a statement released on Wednesday, refuting these claims as “not accurate”.
Mencap’s Executive Director Strategy, Jackie O’Sullivan, expressed: “Rory McIlroy has been a tremendous supporter of Mencap, supporting the build of our children’s centre in Belfast a few years ago.
“However, we would like to clarify that reports stating he donated winnings from a recent tournament to Mencap are not accurate.
“We remain deeply grateful for his generosity and commitment to our cause and would like to congratulate him on his recent wins.”
McIlroy is not just a force on the fairways but also a major player in charitable giving, exemplified by his generous £500,000 donation to Mencap via the Rory Foundation. In 2016, this donation was pivotal in establishing the Mencap Centre in Belfast.
The centre, which officially opened its doors in March 2016, benefited from McIlroy’s contribution as part of Mencap NI’s largest fundraising campaign ever, the Big Step Forward Appeal. McIlroy took time out during a trip back to Northern Ireland to pay a visit to the centre.
At that time, Margaret Kelly, director of Mencap Northern Ireland, was thrilled to have McIlroy tour the new facilities. She expressed her gratitude by saying: “It was so exciting to show Rory around the Mencap Centre today and I know all of the children and families in attendance loved meeting him. The £500,000 donation from the Rory Foundation was a huge part of our success with the Big Step Forward Appeal and was vital in reaching our goal of £1.7million.
“Now that the Mencap Centre is up and running, it is already changing the lives of the children with a learning disability who attend our nursery and it also serves as a resource and a gathering place for young people and adults with a learning disability and their families.
“The Rory Foundation had a big hand in making this important centre a reality and we can’t thank Rory and his team enough for their generosity.”
This article originally appeared on Belfast Live