Just 24 hours after lifting the Harry Vardon Trophy for the 7th time and surpassing the legendary Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy left the golf world dumbfounded: he announced to donate the entire $2 million Race to Dubai 2025 prize money to turn his childhood home in Hollywood into a long-term shelter for homeless youth.
“This is no longer my home. From now on, it will be the home of children who no longer have a home,” Rory said at a brief press conference this morning, his eyes red.
But behind that act of generosity lies a heartbreaking story that Rory only revealed in a trembling voice:
“Three weeks ago, I got a call at 3am. A 15-year-old boy in Belfast committed suicide because he had no place to stay. He texted my charity six months ago… and we hadn’t responded. I can’t forgive myself.”
The house at 17 Windmill Road, Holywood – where Rory grew up, where he used to sleep in a bunk bed and dream of Augusta – will be completely renovated over the next nine months. 24 bedrooms, study area, psychology room, mini soccer field and a media room named “Poppy’s Place” (after his daughter). Expected to welcome 60 children from 12-18 years old in September 2026.
But it was the small details in the press conference that stunned the whole world:
Rory quietly placed a crumpled, childish handwritten letter on the table:
“Rory, I don’t have a place to sleep. I like golf because of you. Can I sleep at the golf course?”
At the bottom is the date… February 14, 2025.
And the last line: “Thank you for reading. If you’re busy, it’s okay.”
Rory burst into tears in front of the camera:
“I was busy. I was busy chasing Seve’s record. I was busy celebrating in Dubai. And that boy died. $2 million didn’t bring him back, but I swear I won’t let another kid have to write a letter like this again.”
Immediate reaction:
– Tiger Woods: “Rory just won the biggest title of his life… and gave it away. That’s a man.”
– Justin Rose chuyį»n ngay $500.000: “I’m in. Whatever Rory needs.”
– The Northern Ireland Government announced an additional $5 million in support and a permanent tax exemption for the project.
– #RorysHouse has surpassed 3.4 million posts in just 6 hours.
But from here, investigators had to intervene urgently.
Hundreds of similar letters were found in the Rory Foundation’s old archives – some from 2023 remain unanswered. An insider source revealed: “There was a faulty screening system due to the pandemic. Thousands of messages fell into a black hole. Rory only discovered it last week when he cleaned out the warehouse himself.”
Currently, the fund is reviewing all 38,000 unread messages from 2021-2025. Rory declared: “If there is another case like the boy in Belfast, I will resign as chairman of the foundation immediately.”
This morning, standing in front of the old house, Rory hugged Poppy and Erica and told reporters:
“I won the Race to Dubai. I won the Masters. But if this house saves even one life, that will be the biggest victory of my life.”
And when the door of the old house officially closed to begin renovation, the whole Hollywood quietly shed tears. Rory McIlroy didn’t just give back $2 million. He is giving back his childhood – so that other children can have childhoods.
