Rory McIlroy, the new world number one golfer, has said that playing the Irish Open this coming June in Royal Portrush is a dream come true.

The 22-year-old golfing star ended Luke Donald’s nine-month reign as world number one when he won the Honda Classic last week.

"For the Irish Open to come to Portrush is a huge thing for any golfer from Northern Ireland,” the Ulsterman told Golf Monthly.

"So for myself and the likes of Graeme [McDowell], Darren [Clarke] and Michael Hoey to play the Irish Open in Northern Ireland is a dream come true for us."

"I haven't played competitively at Royal Portrush since 2005, so to go back there and have the chance to win my national open is something that is very, very important to me."

Meanwhile, McIlroy displayed an unexpected show of talent on Monday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

His girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, was playing Maria Sharapova in the exhibition game, in which she lost 6-3, 6-4.

During the set Wozniacki asked, “Any hot guys in here want to play?” to which McIlroy responded by placing both his hands in the air.

The Irish golfing pro, dressed in a striped sweatshirt, then proceeded to win a point against Sharapova with the crowd at MSG cheering him on.