April 2015: Golf icons Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy star in a new Nike Golf film entitled “Ripple” which vividly captures the powerful influence of Tiger on Rory as a youth.
Extraordinary athletes serve as idols to the next generation. Their greatness inspires, and before long the inspired have in turn become role models themselves. Tiger Woods idolized Jack Nicklaus. Rory McIlroy looked up to Tiger Woods. And now, Woods and McIlroy compete side by side as they fuel the dreams of sport’s future greats. It’s a ripple effect.
In that vein, Nike Golf has created a new film, “Ripple,” that captures the powerful influence of Woods on a young McIlroy. “Ripple” is a story of relentless pursuit by two remarkable athletes, Woods and McIlroy, and their respective paths to greatness.
Produced in one- and two-minute versions, the film follows the inspirational journey of McIlroy growing up, captivated by Woods’s awe-inspiring performances, his strokes of genius, his athleticism and his swing. Seeing fist pump after fist pump, victory after victory, and with posters of Woods in his room, the film shows McIlroy dreaming of one day competing against Woods — symbolic of the dream held by many young golfers around the world.
The film begins with a reenactment of a young McIlroy intensely watching Woods win his first U.S. Amateur Championship on TV in 1994. A few years later, still from his hometown in Holywood, Northern Ireland, McIlroy witnessed Woods’s electrifying performance of winning his first Masters title by an astounding 12 shots. As the film progresses, we see McIlroy emulating Woods’s work ethic, perfecting his game in the rain, working on his putting stroke on a putting green at his house (filmed at his actual childhood home), with his mother Rosie and father Gerry supporting him all the way.
The film culminates with the two professionals competing against each other, walking side by side down the fairway –inspiration for who’s next.
