Rory McIlroy and his caddie have demonstrated real class by lending their support to Crucible star Mark Allen. Though the worlds of golf and snooker rarely intersect, McIlroy and Allen share a commitment to worthy causes in their native Northern Ireland.
Allen has previously approached McIlroy and his bagman, Harry Diamond, to obtain auction items for charitable events, and has been thankful for their support. Speaking ahead of his 10-6 first-round victory over Zhang Anda at the World Championship, Allen told Midnite: “I’ve only met him [McIlroy] a few times over the years. But he’s very well thought of back home, not just for what he’s done on the golf course but some of the initiatives that he’s been involved in off the course. He’s been very good to local charities and stuff. That’s something I get involved with a lot.
“I know his caddie a little bit, Harry. I would message Harry a little bit, rather than getting in Rory’s way, and just wish him all the best.”
“Sometimes I would torture him the odd time for an auction item for a charity event that I’m doing but they’ve always been good to me over the years.”
Allen was delighted to see McIlroy successfully defend his Masters crown after yet another enthralling final round. For most in the sport, claiming the Green Jacket remains the ultimate prize in golf.
Allen, a UK and Masters champion, is still searching for glory at the sport’s biggest stage in snooker, but is drawing inspiration from McIlroy’s decade-long journey to complete golf’s grand slam.
He said: “This [the world title] will always be the one that has got away from me so far in my career and I’ll look back on my career as a disappointment if I don’t win one.
“I think I can resonate a lot with what Rory went through, 10 years with no major, trying to get that Green Jacket to complete the grand slam.
“Knowing the pressure but the support that you get from back home is a big thing. Watching the [Prime Video] documentary that he’s done, I thought it was amazing.
“It showed the pressure he put himself under but the resilience he’s shown throughout that, then finally to win it and then win it back-to-back [was incredible].
“I think I can resonate a lot with that. I’ll try my best every year and I do believe, if I win one, it would make winning two or three a lot easier.”
Mark Allen was speaking to Midnite, the UK betting & Casino partner at the World Championship. This year sees the return of the Midnite Maximum initiative, where a lucky fan will win up to £100,000 if a 147 is hit.