Gary McNeill, the senior professional at Royal Portrush, also said that Rory’s success on Sunday now means he is likely “Ireland’s greatest ever sports star”. Mr McNeill, whose club is due to host The Open this summer, and who counts Rory as a member, said that his comrades at Royal Portrush “found ourselves playing every hole with him” as they watched his performance at the Masters in Augusta National Golf Club, USA, on Sunday. The grand slam refers to securing victory in all four of the major golfing tournaments in a year: The Open, The US Open, The PGA Championship, and the Masters. Rory is now one of only six players to have accomplished the feat (the others being Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods). Mr McNeill himself helped to bring The Open to Portrush back in 2019. He said Rory’s win now will “absolutely” translate into greater golf tourism, and “may well” help the Province’s chances of hosting more major contests. Speaking of Rory’s win on Sunday, he said: “It was wonderful to see him finally get that done. This had gone on for 11 years or so, the fact he hadn't managed to do it. It's such a great thing. "He's now the only European ever to have completed the grand slam. Is he Ireland's greatest ever sports star? He probably is, from doing that. "And it opens the door now for him probably to go on ahead and win a whole lot more events – the next chapter of his career. "He's a member here of Royal Portrush and I think all the members feel as I do. They'd be so pleased for him, and proud to be associated with Rory. He's a wonderful ambassador for golf in Ireland and in Northern Ireland. We look forward to seeing him here in July.” Could his triumph translate into greater numbers of visitors? "Absolutely,” he said. “It's just going to create such interest in Irish golf again. "With golfers like Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell we've a lot to be thankful to them for as well for starting this trend off of Irish golfers winning major championships. "That's been continued on by Shane Lowry and of course Rory again now. It focusses a lot of attention on Ireland, and with that it focusses the attention on the Irish golf courses. "Between 2008 and 2011 when all those guys were winning majors, that really helped to get the Open Championship back here on to Irish soil. We have to be thankful for what they did to assist that happening... “The Open Chamionship gets broadcast into something like 600 million homes. It's incredible to think of that number of people watching. On the back of that then they'll be planning golf trips and trips to this part of the world. "We're all delighted for Rory. We all would've been watching it [on Sunday]. "Everybody knows Augusta; it's the only major that's played on the same course, year in, year out. We know all the holes so well and we probably found ourselves playing every hole with him as he tried to get that final round done. "We all look forward to him coming to contest the Open Championship in July. Hopefully we can produce another Irish winner – that'd be the icing on the cake, just like Shane Lowry did the last time [in 2019]. “We're ever thankful to Rory and all the other players for what they have achieved, and how well they conduct themselves as well as they travel the world entertaining people with their golf.” Yesterday the News Letter had reported on the jubilant scenes at Rory's hometown club in Holywood, Co Down, after his Sunday victory. Manager Tom Widley told the News Letter he is expecting a busy summer, as fans arriving for the Open in Portrush pay a visit to the club. “We’ve had an influx of membershi. A legacy of Rory’s previous wins is that we have the biggest junior section in the island of Ireland; that’ll grow. “This summer, we’ll have a lot of tourist interest. It’s created a feel-good factor, everyone in the club is cheering.” Club president Tony Denvir had said: “He sank that final putt and this place just erupted; I mean, the roof nearly came off. “We’ve experienced that before with his previous majors, but nothing like Sunday night. It’s hard to put into words.”