John Stevenson says supporting McIlroy’s golf dream over classroom rules was a risk that paid off

Rory McIlroy’s former school principal has shared how he took a calculated Rory McIlroy risk by permitting the teenage golfer to miss significant class time in pursuit of his dream — a risk now proven successful after McIlroy’s recent Masters victory.

John Stevenson, who led Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, County Down, from 1998 to 2010, said he “broke a few rules” to support McIlroy’s talent after recognising the extraordinary commitment his family had made to his golfing ambitions.

Twenty years ago, McIlroy’s attendance at school was patchy at best, as he travelled the world competing in junior tournaments. Speaking to BBC News NI, Stevenson recalled, “Sometimes you’ve got to break a few rules.”

Back in September 2004, when McIlroy was 15, the school drew up a seven-point plan with his parents, Gerry and Rosie, to ensure he could still sit his GCSES. His subjects were reduced from nine to five, and a support system was put in place to help him catch up on missed work with the help of teachers and classmates.

In a confidential school memo from that time, Stevenson acknowledged, “I expect Rory will be away from school rather more than we think wise, but rather less than he would want.” The memo also noted that McIlroy had made “modest academic progress given the considerable time he was away from classes.”

That same year, McIlroy was already representing Europe in the junior Ryder Cup and had been invited to play in special events in Scotland.

His family home sat just five minutes from the school, and the front lawn boasted a small putting green — a testament to the single-minded pursuit that defined McIlroy’s youth.

The school’s leniency was not initially guaranteed. Stevenson admitted he suspected he was dealing with “pushy parents” until McIlroy’s father, Gerry, set him straight.

“Gerry said, ‘It’s all him, it’s all Rory,’” Stevenson recalled. “We’ve just been doing everything we can to help him with his ambition to be a professional golfer.”

From that moment, Stevenson decided the school had to match the family’s level of support. “We were taking a risk,” he said. “It could have fallen apart.”

Fortunately, it didn’t. On Sunday, McIlroy capped off a remarkable journey by completing golf’s Grand Slam, winning the Masters in dramatic fashion after a playoff at Augusta. He is only the sixth male golfer in history to win all four majors.

Stevenson, who described McIlroy as a shy but popular pupil, said the golfer’s story carries valuable lessons for today’s students.

“There’s an opportunity to tell kids, ‘ he is your role model, ’” he said. “Not because he is famous, successful, or rich—though he is all of those things—but because he’s honest, he’s acknowledged the support he got, and he has failed, fallen down, and got back up time and time again.”

That resilience, Stevenson believes, is just as important as talent. “When families, schools, and peer groups work well together, dreams are possible.”

The school motto, Lámh Foisdineach An Uachtar — translated from Irish as “with the gentle hand foremost” — now seems fitting for an institution that took a chance on a young boy with a golf bag and a dream.