Golf

Rory Finds Form to Win FedEx Cup

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By winning the Tour Championship yesterday in Atlanta, and with it the FedEx Cup for the first-time, Rory McIlroy has turned a decent, if disappointing by his high standards, season into a great one.  Until the FedEx play-offs began his only win this year was the Irish Open.  The new FedEd Cup winner now heads to the Ryder Cup before focussing on next year’s majors, starting with the US Masters in April. To be fair, it was only his putting that has … Read more

“the looming legal row, which is due to commence on 9 January, could become a defining event for Northern Ireland…”

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Well, perhaps.  At the very least it might provide the basis for some actual politics, for a while…  ANYhoo…  The Observer’s Jamie Doward with a reminder of the upcoming legal battle over planning permission for the Bushmills Dunnes development – a 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, golf academy, 120-room hotel and 75 golf lodges complex, plus associated car parking facilities, at Runkerry, close to the Unesco World Heritage Centre Giants’ Causeway and Causeway Coast. In June this year the National Trust sought leave for a … Read more

What does McIlroy’s pending decision for Team GB mean to the rest of us?

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It’s easy to forget how long Ireland has gone about the sporting world without the least sign of serious success. When Padraig Harrington became the first Irish man since Fred Daly to win the Open it was only 2007. Rory McIlroy won a silver medal as top amateur in the same year. With Harrington joined by GMac, Darren Clarke and the boy from Holywood, modern Irish golfers have redefined what success looks like… Christy O’Connor Snr was in or near … Read more

Rory McIlroy: In praise of the quotidian championship golfer…

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There’s a thin line between celebrity and character. When I first blogged about Rory McIlroy winning the West of Ireland Open at the age of 15 (I think), the thread (now lost) focused somewhat on what people saw at the time as the negatives of bringing up a sporting child prodigy. Television, then the tabloids, and now the net have each in turn given us a sense that we know everything there is to know about the various public characters … Read more

McIlroy sets down marker for Rio Gold

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As the spectacularly successful London 2012 Olympics came to a tumultuous conclusion, Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy closed in on his second major title – the 2012 US PGA. As the Irish Times live blog noted He will be younger at 23 years and three months than Tiger Woods was when winning his second major. Stunning performance.  By 8 shots! [added link] Pete Baker

Might Rory McIroy be a flash in the pan?

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On the eve of the American PGA, Our Holywood hero is “refreshingly honest”, according to the Guardian. But maybe with just a touch of sour grapes added? McIlroy, whose honesty in public is one of his most endearing qualities, said: “I’m just happy to be part of that group of 16. I think the reason it is like this, fields are much deeper. Partly because the guys have just got better and have worked hard; they are putting more into … Read more

WHC requests UK Government “to halt the proposed development of a golf resort at the World Heritage property ‘Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast'”

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The BBC reports that the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of Unesco has agreed to request “the state party of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to halt the proposed development of a golf resort at the World Heritage property ‘Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast’ until its potential impact on the outstanding universal value of the World Heritage property has been assessed”.   The WHC request comes after the National Trust’s decision to seek leave for a judicial review of the decision to grant … Read more

‘Colm, buy everyone in Holywood a drink, he did it!’

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Well, I was going to ignore it, until I saw this quote from Edel O’Connell in the Irish Independent… As the Gaeilgeoiri out ‘the back road’ (the one that goes along the edge of the golf course) are inclined to say, “ta me an broduil as Rory ar fad”… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events … Read more

Our golfing facilities won’t make the cut for a long time

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I’m told I can claim as close a connection with the British Open as most punters, even if it was in 1951 at Royal Portrush and I was 2 years old. In those innocent days spectators could sidle right up to the tee. Just as somebody was about to drive off, I’m told I piped up: ”What’s that man doing Daddy?” and got no more than a dirty look. I hate to think what would happen today. Like anybody with half a … Read more

Darren Clarke … another NI golf major win … coming along like buses

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Darren Clarke is £900,000 richer as he finishes the 140th Open Championship five shots under par, and three ahead of his nearest rival. As many people have commented on Twitter: To have 3 major winners in 14 months is incredible. Took English golfers 60 years. Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. Normally to be found blogging over at Alan in Belfast where you’ll find an irregular set of postings, weaving an intricate pattern around a diverse set of subjects. Comment … Read more

Graeme McDowell for Sports Personality of the Year

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Great news for a freezing Monday morning!  Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat from   the faltering Tiger is just the right move to boost the Portrush boy’s chances in BBC Sports Personality of the Year. (He made  it to captain of Golf at my old school, you know). Brian WalkerFormer BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former … Read more

Stand Up for the Ulsterman

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Graeme McDowell keeps his nerve….and here’s what he has to say. Super stuff. DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…

Croeso i Montgomerieshire…

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Things hotting up nicely for the weekend. Catherine and Katherine introduced golfers, wives and 13,000 others to Welsh song at a gala last night. Tiger has been here before – not sure he enjoyed it much though… – Nice quote from his caddie for that week in 1995, when beset by food poisoning he tried to help him out – “In fairness to Woods, Griffiths reveals he saw the illness close up. “He was pretty rough and I gave him a … Read more

Holywood man wins West of Ireland title

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Congratulations to Holywood boy Rory McIlroy on winning the West of Ireland Open Amateur Golf Championship at Rosses Point in Sligo, at the grand old age of 15. Last time I saw him, he’d just flown back from Florida with his dad where they’d been reccying a course in preparation for the the World Under Tens Championship (back in 98, I think) in time to grab a bite to eat and up and out onto the Holywood course. At the … Read more