Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy may have clinched the grand slam on Sunday (April 13), but it’s certainly not the first time he’s been in the spotlight — especially after a reportedly “hectic” night out with Meghan Markle more than ten years ago.

Back in 2014, Rory and the now-Duchess of Sussex linked up in New York City, where they took part in one of the biggest viral trends at the time — the Ice Bucket Challenge.

The popular challenge involved dumping a bucket of ice water over someone’s head — either by another person or by themselves — to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors, author Tom Bower recounted a moment when Meghan Markle, then 43 and best known for her role in Suits, crossed paths with Rory McIlroy, now 35, in New York City while she was staying with a friend.

According to Bower, the two shared a lively night out, described as “hectic.” During that time, the golfing star nominated Meghan to take part in the viral Ice Bucket Challenge.

Meghan agreed—but with one specific request: Rory had to be the one to pour the water over her, something he was more than happy to do.

“She accepted the challenge, on condition that Rory came to her friend’s apartment and personally poured the bucket over her on the balcony,” Bower wrote, referencing a video of the moment that was later posted online.

“Awesome to help @meghanmarkle take on the #ALSIceBucketChallenge today!!” Rory tweeted. “Such a good sport!”