In all aspects of life, timing can be very important. Last month, Rory McIlroy became the sixth golfer and the first European in history to win the career grand slam: The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. The other five were Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gary Player.

It took McIlroy more than a decade to accomplish this feat. Although Timothy M. Gay finished working on this exhaustive, entertaining and enjoyable biography long before the events of April at Augusta, Georgia, its release could not have come at a more appropriate time. McIlroy is riding the crest of this significant achievement, and his already massively successful career is at its zenith.

"RORY LAND is loaded with personal stories and golf history, humor, sadness, and just enough gossip to make this thorough and balanced biography eminently readable."

RORY LAND begins with an introduction that sets the career and life of its subject in a complete context. Gay observes that McIlroy is a professional athlete whose “introspection and intellectual curiosity impel him to pursue a range of passions.” He is articulate, worldly and not afraid to speak his mind. Fellow tour player Will Zalatoris once observed that if McIlroy had been born in the United States, he would vote for him for president.

McIlroy was born and raised in Northern Ireland, which certainly has had a major influence on his life. No less a man than Senator George Mitchell, who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland, observed that he is “a symbol of hope and progress, of what Northern Ireland can be. I’m proud of him.”

McIlroy is also a product of a loving family. His parents, Gerry and Rosie, sacrificed for him. As a child, he would practice chipping golf balls into his mother’s washing machine. Gerry’s faith in his son was evidenced by a wager he made when McIlroy was 15. He and three friends each placed a bet of £100 at 500/1 odds that McIlroy would win the British Open before the age of 26. The gamble paid off 10 years later, winning them around £200,000.

At 26, McIlroy had multi-million-dollar endorsements and victories in three majors. Writing about golf can be difficult, but Gay provides riveting accounts of several near-misses in the intervening years. In a recent interview, he announced that a special epilogue reflecting on McIlroy’s Masters win will be included in future editions of the book.

RORY LAND is loaded with personal stories and golf history, humor, sadness, and just enough gossip to make this thorough and balanced biography eminently readable. More than a book about a golfer, it’s the story of an athlete who happens to play golf and how an ever-changing world made him an exceedingly fascinating participant.