Watching My Dad Watch Rory McIlroy Win the 2025 Masters Tournament

My dad just got back from a week of golf with his closest friends, a trip he looks forward to every year. Golf has always been one of his greatest joys. It’s his thing. His outlet. His tradition. And after a lifetime of showing up for everyone else, I think it’s one of the ways he shows up for himself too.

So yesterday, when we watched Rory McIlroy win The Masters, a victory over a decade in the making, I wasn’t just watching the final round of a golf tournament. I was watching my dad take in something that meant more than just sports. The look in his eyes said it all. Pride. Hope. Maybe even a little peace. Rory didn’t just win a green jacket. He proved what it means to keep showing up, even when things don’t go your way. Even when it would have been easier to quit. He reminded us that hard work, patience, and heart still matter.

We didn’t grow up with much. There were tough seasons, and some days were harder than others. But my dad, a girl dad through and through, never let that stop him from giving everything he had. He worked hard for us. Not for praise or recognition, but because that’s who he is. Steady. Selfless. Committed.

Now that he’s older and taking time for golf trips and good friends, I see the game as more than just a hobby. It mirrors his life in so many ways. The discipline. The long view. The quiet confidence that with time and effort, things will come together. Watching him watch Rory win felt like watching a piece of his story unfold on that green. It was a moment of connection, not just to the sport, but to everything he’s stood for all along.

Because in the end, winning isn’t always about medals or money. Sometimes it’s about surviving the hard years, showing up every day, and still swinging.

And that’s my dad.