Rory McIlroy might not have topped the leaderboard at the Dubai Desert Classic, but he won hearts with an emotional gesture. Although he finished in a tie for 33rd place, McIlroy still pocketed £48,043. But that wasn’t the highlight of his time in Dubai.
The spotlight was on a heartwarming moment as Rory made a special effort to meet Ganesh Mangathil, the retiring publishing manager at Dubai Golf, who’s been a familiar face to the golf stars for 27 years. When Rory found out about Ganesh’s retirement, he decided to stay back just to meet him. Imagine the surprise and emotion! Ganesh couldn’t hold back the tears, touched by Rory’s act of kindness.
A video shared on social media captures Rory embracing Ganesh and gifting him a silver memento shaped like an Arabic coffee pot. Ganesh, who’s known Rory since he was a teenager, shared his admiration for the golfer, expressing how much this gesture meant to him.
On the course, it was Patrick Reed who claimed victory, wrapping up the tournament with a cool £1.18m. Reed also opened up about his LIV Golf contract, hinting at possible plans to play on the PGA Tour. The competition and chatter around the golf world are heating up, but it’s these genuine human moments that remind us of the sport’s true spirit.