Niall Horan has discovered an unlikely side career during his time off from the One Direction tour. The 21-year-old joined Rory McIlroy, the world's current top-ranked golf player, to act as his caddie for the Par Three contest ahead of The Masters on Wednesday.
The Irish singer is said to have been friends with the golfer for years, and was clearly excited to join him on the course in Georgia judging by the tweets and photos he shared in the lead up to the event.
"About to caddie for @McIlroyRory!! Follow @TheMasters to watch us win the #par3contest!!" he tweeted ahead of the contest.
© Photo: Getty ImagesNiall Horan acted as a caddie for his friend Rory McIlroy on Wednesday
Despite his excitement, Niall's golfing debut did not go entirely smoothly – the singer was about to join Rory for a live interview with Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher when he tripped over on camera. However he recovered quickly and later joked about the incident with his 22 million Twitter followers.
"If your walking around augusta, don't step on the pine leaves, slippy as hell Hahahaha! #redfaced!" he wrote.
The What Makes You Beautiful singer also shared his excitement at meeting golfing champion Tiger Woods, who made a return to the competition for the first time since 2004. Posting a picture of himself wearing white caddie overalls and standing alongside the two golf pros, Niall wrote: "What a moment! Incredible to have met Tiger Woods! Thanks again @McIlroyRory @TheMasters."
Rory explained that he invited Niall to join him for the annual contest a few months ago.
"He's been excited to come here, he's never been to the Masters," he told ESPN. "I caught up with him in Australia at the end of last year and he was really excited, and I said, 'If you're available Wednesday afternoon and you want to carry the bag for nine holes, you're more than welcome.'"
Niall's fun day out follows a dramatic couple of weeks for One Direction, who have faced constant speculation about their future since Zayn Malik announced that he was leaving the band. The four remaining members have been quick to play down split rumours, with Niall confirming that they are already working on their fifth album following Zayn's departure.
The band are currently taking a two month break from their On The Road Again tour, which starts again in Europe in June.
