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How did Rory McIlroy lap the field at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional? A look back at his career, and his week, might help explain it
Rory McIlroy
He's a natural talent: McIlroy's raw ability was apparent early, and so was his devotion to the game. At age 2, his father Gerry first put a club in his hands. Soon after, he was watching a videotape, "Nick Faldo's Masterclass," so regularly he started calling himself "Rory Nick Faldo McIlroy." Then when his teacher Michael Bannon first taught him a proper grip, he would often go to sleep with his hands wrapped correctly around the club. By age 9, he had won his first big tournament, the Doral Junior Publix Under 10 in Florida, and never looked back.
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

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