Rory McIlroy was a 13-year-old super-fan when he first encountered Tiger Woods

Rory McIlroy is back at Mount Juliet Golf Course in Kilkenny, Ireland, for this week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on the European Tour. It's a course he’s never played.

That said, the place gave him an unforgettable memory.

McIlroy went to Mount Juliet as a fan in 2002 and saw Tiger Woods shoot 25 under par to win a World Golf Championships event by a shot over Retief Goosen. Better yet, McIlroy, then 13, found himself thrillingly close to the winner at the trophy ceremony on 18.

“I somehow sneaked my way like under the rope onto the back of the green,” he said, “and I was standing right behind him and his glove was still in his back pocket. And like I could have reached and got it and ran; it would have been a good story to tell him, but I obviously didn't.

“It was the first time I ever watched Tiger play live,” he added. “I remember the first shot I ever saw him hit was a drive off the 5th hole, the par 5, and he hit a 2-iron into the green. It was really cool. I idolized him growing up and to actually see the man in the flesh was pretty exciting.”

McIlroy, who grew up in Northern Ireland, also attended the WGC tournament at Mount Juliet in 2004, when Ernie Els won. “I had sort of made a name for myself in the amateur scene at that point,” he said. As a result he got to go and meet the winner after the tournament.

Fast-forward to today and the FedExCup No. 24 heads into the Irish Open as a bit of an unknown as he works through swing changes under new coach Pete Cowen. He won the Wells Fargo Championship in May, but was deflated after a T49 finish at the PGA Championship at Kiawah.

A ho-hum T18 followed at the Memorial, but McIlroy was upbeat after a T7 at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where he was in contention until falling back with a final-round 73.

As for his remaining goals this season, he said he’d like to keep that mojo going.

“Yeah, I think getting myself into contention in another major,” he said. “So getting myself into contention at The Open would be great. I think having a chance to win both the FedExCup and The Race to Dubai; I think they are two pretty good goals of mine I'd like to try to achieve.

“And yeah, like have a great Ryder Cup,” he added. “Obviously that's very important.”