RORY McILROY TURNS PRO AT 18
- AND EXPECTS TO WIN SOON!

Walker Cup teenager Rory McIlroy, the 18-year-old star prospect from Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland announced today that he has turned professional.
As well as winning the Irish and European individual amateur titles McIlroy was leading amateur in the Open at Carnoustie in July.
McIlroy already negotiated the first stage of the European Tour qualifying school last week but ten more rounds have still to be played if he is to earn his card for next season.
He can avoid the rest of the school if he earns around 200,000 Euros through his invitations into not only this week's British Masters, but also the Dunhill Links championship in two weeks' time and possibly three more events after that.
McIlroy, with a string of sponsors behind him already, simply oozes confidence.
He prefers to recall the impact Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia had straightaway - both won within two months of turning pro — and commented today after nine holes practising with mentor Darren Clarke: "I am not putting too much pressure on myself, but I would love to go out this week and play well.
"I think people have expectations of me and I have expectations of myself, so I hopefully I can play well and live up to the expectations. That's the way I'm looking at it. I'm hitting it well and I think this course suits me.
"It's nice to be mentioned in the same breath as Sergio and Tiger and if I can make a start like they did I will be very happy. I'm just going to try my hardest and hopefully the results will follow."
McIlroy's backers include a Dubai-based hotel and hospitality management company, investment and construction firms, the Lough Erne club in Fermanagh and golf company Titleist.
Lloyd Saltman, McIlroy's Walker Cup team-mate, also plays his first European Tour event as a professional this week.