They say March is going to be big and it’s a good start for Rory McIlroy.
The reigning Masters champion teamed up with his father, Gerry, to win the Seminole Professionals on Monday at the 1929 Donald Ross Masterpiece in Juno Beach, Fla., and shot a best round of 63 to win the overall division.
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That was two strokes better than the team of Rickie Fowler and former U.S. Amateur champion Buddy Mariucci, who finished second. Ranked No. 12 on Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses list and on a shortlist of premier private clubs where golfers dream of playing, the Seminole Professional Course is a past champion of this unique event dating back to 1937, including Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Davis Love III was one of several players to call the pro “the first major of the year.”
Despite no wallets, no TV coverage and no official World Golf Ranking points, the field was packed with the likes of past major champions Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Stuart Cink and Lucas Glover. This is an area where most tournament directors are willing to give their left arm.
How did this one-day romp become the fifth Grand Slam? The first is the mystique of the Seminoles. Ross’s masterpiece and its domed green were a winter retreat for industrial leaders. The tournament is a celebration of love for the game at one of American golf’s most prestigious sanctuaries. This is where Ben Hogan practices for the Masters. He called the sixth hole his favorite hole in the world.
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“If I were a young guy on the pro tour, I would try to schedule a Seminole game,” Hogan said. “If you can play Seminole ball, you can play any ballpark in the world.”
Morikawa and member David Novak shot 62 and won a poker match against McIlroy’s team. But it won’t be long before the mahogany wall of championships in the northeast corner of the Seminole locker room will feature the father-son duo from Northern Ireland in gold lettering.
This article originally appeared in Golfweek: Rory McIlroy, father wins Seminole Pro
