Niall Horan showed his true colours with response to Rory McIlroy text – ‘Let me start crying’

Former One Direction star Niall Horan has made his love of golf no secret, and his emotional response when asked by Rory McIlroy to carry his bag at the Masters back in 2015 said it all

Musician and former One Direction star Niall Horan joked he almost started crying when Rory McIlroy asked him to carry his bag at the Masters.

The Irish singer is known for his love of golf and is a club member at Wentworth, which is hosting the final few days of the BMW PGA Championship. In action at the Surrey course this week, which Horan has taken to in Pro-Am competitions numerous times, is none other than reigning Masters champ McIlroy.

Both have crossed paths in the past, and during Horan’s heyday with One Direction, a text from McIlroy asking if he’d be the Northern Irishman’s looper at the Masters’ annual Par 3 contest almost brought him to tears.

Speaking on the Fore Play podcast in 2023, Horan opened up about McIlroy’s request, which came 10 years ago. Horan said: “He [McIlroy] just texted me like a week before. He said do you fancy carrying the bag for the Par-3.

“I was like let me start crying. The old Irish thing has this connection. I guess sure and we have got a lot of mutual friends beforehand and we knew each other quite well.”

Unfortunately for Horan, the outing ended in relative disaster. Having caddied for McIlroy for most of the day, he was allowed a shot on the ninth and last hole, but pulled it into the water.

To make matters worse, he then dramatically fell over on the same hole. He told reporters at the time: “My right arm got stuck on my chest and I pulled it across and it wound up in the drink on the very left. Any other day I would have found the green but there’s a lot of pressure out there.

“It’s very different,” added a 21-year-old Horan. “I do perform to a lot of people but I’m performing to their parents today. It’s a very different crowd.”

Horan has visited the historic Augusta National many times since this incident, even playing the course on occasion. Earlier this year, speaking before the competition that McIlroy went on to win, Horan opened up about his affinity for golf and the Masters.

“When I was very young. Watching Tiger [Woods] win here [at Augusta] multiple times was a big help, Sunday red here at Augusta with those big roars through the TV,” he told The Masters Tournament.

“Being from Ireland was a big help with some great players with (Paul) McGinley and (Padraig) Harrington. Once you’re in, you’re in,” he continued.

“I have fortunately played this course on multiple occasions. I have birdied 13 a couple of times, which is exactly what you want to do when you’re down there. When I’m here I don’t really care how I play, but just happy to walk around and take in the history.

“I always say do you remember when Bubba (Watson) hit that shot from the trees on 10 or Phil (Mickelson) hit that crazy shot from the trees on 13. That never gets old. But there was a moment that was unreal one day. We were coming up No. 8. Me and a friend of mine had hit the second shot left into the trees there.

“As we were looking and waiting for a group on No. 2 to walk by, we realized it was Jack (Nicklaus). And he was wearing a yellow shirt. And he was walking down the hill. That was just an amazing moment. The Bear himself.”