Rory and the Olympics Dilemma

Regular readers will know that when it comes to the Olympics I support two nations. As some of you know I also know from first hand experience that the decision of which of those two an Northern Irish sports person faces when deciding who to represent isn't always straight forward or black and white.

Yesterday in a documentary shown on BBC Northern Ireland there was another twist to this tail.

First though a little bit of trivia question. When was the last time that Northern Ireland won a gold medal in an individual event? The answer was 1972 with Mary Peters. We have won team gold since then, and other medals both individual and team for both GB and Ireland. Our last Northern Irish Paralympians to win golds were three who took home 5 between them in London.

Northern Ireland does have a current world number one in a sport that will be making his Olympic debut in Rio 2016, so we should be looking forward to supporting someone with a real chance of ending that famine. But that world number one golfer Rory McIlroy is wary of the dispute of which flag he should represent. Last night he said if he played for either nation he would upset people so maybe he should take the other option and not take part at all.

Yeah the latest fall out of the entire flags issue is that Northern Ireland's top sportsman is seriously considering not taking up a place at the 2016 Olympics because whoever he chooses to represent he is fearful of upsetting someone. I know some Loyalists who cannot consider supporting an all Ireland team such as the successful Rugby or Cricket teams. Yet the same people will support Ulster in Rugby, they fail to notice ⅓ of the Province is actually not in the UK or that some of the players aren't British! Yes there seriously are people in Northern Ireland who cheered on England against Ireland in the One Day International World Cup despite there being Northern Irish players on the Ireland team and England containing a player from Dublin. 

Yes there really is such a divide in sporting circles here and the ungoing inability of some to respect other communities, democratic decisions on flags or personal preferences seems to be having a knock on effect that top Northern Irish sportspeople may seriously consider not going to the Olympics to achieve a once in four years dream as it will offend others.

I think it is time for those who feel offended by someone choosing who to represent (BTW a right protected in the Good Friday Agreement) to stop being so selfish as to threaten, appear to threaten or cause our best to not seek to gain an Olympic accolade.

Well done to all the flag protestors. You're making it impossible for Northern Irish sport to flourish now.

histRORY now the World's Best Golfer

This mug, or some very much like it may well be swamping the local market in Northern Ireland tomorrow morning. Though I suspect that many will actually have a picture of a certain young man from Holywood.

Not even a final day surge from Tiger Woods who shot -8 for the day, including two eagles, could take the lead off Rory on his day, even temporarily. Woods the youngest ever World Number One though was the leader in the club house as Rory completed his round alongside Tom Gillis of the USA.

All Rory had to do this week, as last, was to win. This week it was strokeplay at the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for the Honda Classic, rather than having to play a second tough matchplay of the day after beating the only man who could have denied him the honour.

The Northern Irish man shot a steady round with only one bogey on 12 which he recovered immediately on 13, to go with the other birdie on the 8th. Shooting -12 for the tournament was enough to overtake Luke Donald at the top of the World Rankings that will be announced officially tomorrow.

So here is the World's Best Golfer and he comes from just up the road.

The World's Best Golfer
Picture by Getty Images from the BBC

We demand podiums ceremonies in golf

Motion from the Northern Ireland Party

Conference notes that many sports honour not just the winner but the person or team that comes second and sometimes even third. Look at all Olympic sports, Grand Prix Racing, equestrian with the various rossettes, and enclosures at horse racing circuits. Even in Football where there is a third/fourth playoff in the World Cup and in Tennis were both finalists are usually presented with some trophy.

Conference therefore calls for the immediate introduction of podiums in all sports including golf.

Of course the above motion has nothing whatsoever to do with today's result in the Dunhill Links tournament where the famous Northern Irish golfers Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy came third (tied) and second respectively, behind a Northern Irish man, Michael Hoey.

Of course this is a joke of a motion but I want to celebrate three Northern Irish men in the top three of a senior open event.

An Open for Norn Iron?

"I would love to see a British Open round here one day. Royal Portrush is a far better course than Troon. This is one of the real great Open courses."
Gary Player 

The 2010 US Open Champion hales from Royal Portrush, the 2011 US Open Champion is the course record holder at 61 of Royal Portrush, on the morning that he won the 2011 Open the Champion's sons were playing on their local course Royal Portrush.

Yes, all three of the Northern Irish Golfers who have now won three of the last six golf majors* have some connection to the only course outside Great Britain to have hosted the Open Championship. That was in 1951, four years after the last Northern Irish winner of the Open Fred Daly.

Yes, all three of the Northern Irish Golfers who have now won three of the last six golf majors* have some connection to the only course outside Great Britain to have hosted the Open Championship. That was in 1951, four years after the last Northern Irish winner of the Open Fred Daly.

Admittedly the next three open courses are known:

• 2012 Royal Lytham and St. Annes
• 2013 Murifield
• 2014 Royal Liverpool, Hoylake

So there is room in four years time to replicate that honour.

The course has on six occasions held the Senior British Open, which is when Gary Player made his comment above. Before we had yet another Northern Irish winned today, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said:

"Obviously there's much emotion about Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy's victories and why don't we go back to Northern Ireland and perhaps Portrush in particular, and I understand that.

“You can't, however, base where you hold The Open on where players come from. I think that should be obvious to anyone. Portrush is a terrific golf course and may well be strong enough for an Open, but as we all know, there are other issues of infrastructure, accommodation, roads, what would the commercial success or otherwise of the championship be, that need consideration.

"We are not ruling it out by any stretch of the imagination, but it would have to meet all those criteria, and I don't think it's something that's going to be in any way imminent, but it's certainly something we'll have a look at again in view of the success of the golfers from that part of the world."

Now I agree that we shouldn't be basing where we place a Tournament solely on where the best golfers come from. I also agree that there is a lot of work needed to build up infrastructure near Portrush or any other links course to make it viable. But in 140 Opens we have only had one open in Northern Ireland, surely it is time to ensure that another one comes this way. By far one of the most challenging courses Royal Portrush though a short course at 6845 plays long and difficult. Having watched a number of those Seniors Opens.

There are a number of high quality hotels now in Northern Ireland, admittedly not many near the course at Portrush. The road up to Portrush from the Airports at Belfast or London/Derry have room for improvement as well. So yes there is work to be done. But we need to build on, as Rory McIlroy tweeted us becoming the Golfing capital of the world, we need to attract a European Tour event here on a regular basis, possibly at Royal Belfast or some other course. But we also need to work towards getting an Open over here, that is most likely to happen at Royal Portrush, so we need to work with people who want to bring the Championships over here, often enough to get us unto the cycle of venues.

If we can we should do what we can to get golf raised here in Northern Ireland by attracting these sort of tournaments.

* Indeed now three of the last five open have been won by golfers from this Island when you count in Padraig Harrington's wins in 2007-08.

Our Wee Country ain't bad with a wee white ball

 For a Wee Country Norn Iron is renowned for punching above our weight when it comes to sport. We've been to three world cups. Two men from here have run three World Snooker titles and more than our fair share of Olympic gold medalists (especially in boxing).

However, as somebody said over the weekend for two men from Northern Ireland to win back to back US Open golf titles must surely have been up there at lottery odds. That is except one 22-year-old from Holywood when told about that quote said, " Well, I though I had a pretty good chance."

He had a point, he'd been in the lead before yesterday's conclusion in 6 of the 7 rounds of major championship golf this year. The previous two last year's Open and PGA he was tied for third. So yeah that would have been pretty good form. Of course there was one elephant in the room. The implosion that he went through after leading for 3½ days on the back nine of the final day at the Augusta National being the reason.

There was none of  that last night. Sure he dropped shots on twice as many holes as he had the rest of the weekend, that took his total to 4 holes and 5 dropped shot. He did eventually 3 putt on a green, but that was the 71st and that was when he was already home an dry, the closest anyone got to his score all day was when Y.E. Yang birdied the 10th to go nine under, but he'd birdied it himself, after just missing a hole in one by 8 inches to go to 17 under. it may not have been his best round of the week, a meer 69, to go with the 65, 66 and 68 from the previous days. But that made him only the third US Open Champion to break 70 on all four days.

That wasn't all he did, here are a few of the records that were set over the last four days. Lowest four-round score at the US Open, his -16 268 bettering Jack Nicklaus (1982), Lee Janzen (93), Tiger Woods (2000) nad Jim Furyk (2003). Record for most strokes under par. Quickest ever to reach -10 (after 26 holes), first player ever to reach -17, lowest 36-hole total of 131, equals biggest 36-hole lead of six shots set by Tiger Woods in 2000, lowest 54-hole total of 199, lowest 72-hole total of 268. I think you call that domination.

He's from just up the road at Holywood, he learnt his golf just around the corner at Bangor with the club pro. He is Rory McIlroy. What will be capable of next month at Royal St. Georges in The Open. He's now led after 7 of the 8 rounds of major's golf this year. He grew up playing the Northern Irish links including an audacious 61 for the course record at Royal Portrush (the home course of Graeme McDowell last year's winner) aged just 16.

Our wee man with the curly hair done grand, so he did.