The Official Golf Thread

[Hardy]

You're both in.

[screenexile]

Do ye lads not have some geriatric board to be taking yer nonsense to??

Here we go . . .

http://olderinireland.ie/

[brokencrossbar1]

Do ye lads not have some geriatric board to be taking yer nonsense to??

Here we go . . .

http://olderinireland.ie/

Given the demise of anfearrua we want to be careful that this place isn't closed down due to an increasing level of old man grumpyness!

[LeoMc]

As mick999 predicted earlier there has been some clarification from Mr McIlroy

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2cvSgQCUAEtaX8.jpg:large

Having just won three of my last four tournaments, including a second Major championship, I was hoping that my success on the golf course would be the more popular topic of golfing conversation today. However the issue of my cultural identity has re-emerged, and with it, the matter of my national allegiance ahead of the Rio Olympics in 2016.

The naivety of the kid.

Indicative of the lack of progress to see the posts on regarding his allegience yet not a whisper about his back to back wins, or 3 out of 4 wins vs starts.

Never mind the posts on here, you should see the "Boycott Rory McIlroy" page on Facebook and some of the Neanderathal comments on both sides.

Nobody had quite clarified how they intend to boycott him. 

[Applesisapples]

The Irish have to be the most obsessed bunch of people with claiming celebrities or sports stars as one of their own. The Irish Daily Star is constantly at this with celebs who have an Irish great-grandfather or something similar! If Rory McIlroy wants to be known as British, what is the harm in that? Its how he was raised, the same as James McClean saying he's Irish. It doesn't make him a bad person and he's not trying to offend anyone. He had to choose one or the other and he chose what he thought was best and I'm pretty positive it had nothing to do with sponsorship deals! The 20 million in his bank would back that up.

The big difference here is that McClean is Irish as is McIlroy, being Irish does not exclude those of us born in the North. Given where McIlroy was brought up it is not surprising he feels this way, but this is more to do with how he was reared. It is not so long ago that any nationalist wanting to get on in the north had to be more British than Irish, and you certainly wouldn't want to upset the neighbours if you wanted to work in Hollywood Golf Club. I think irrespective of his own feelings McIlroy has been ill advised going public with this now. His whole dissing of the Irish Flag and the embracing of the Loyalist Ulster flag and his bigging up of his Ulster Rugby support will alienate a lot of people who didn't need to be. He should have taken a leaf out of McGuigan/Taylor/O'Neill's book rather than Gerry Armstrong's. I'd say it doesn't sit well with the extended family but sure with millions in the bank he'll hardly care. G Mac and Clarke are much more savvy and both are always careful to interchange ireland and Northern Ireland. On an aside OWC Watson was in his element on Radio Ulster on Monday hving a go at RTE as well alleging they ignored NI medal winners at the Olympic's which is rich given that he rarely mentions Harrington. I don't agree with McIlroy on this but he has the right to declare for GB if it floats his boat, just as McClean and Gibson can declare for the ROI. It is hypocritical of OWC supporters to defend his right to do so whilst denying McClean the same right.

[Applesisapples]

As mick999 predicted earlier there has been some clarification from Mr McIlroy

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2cvSgQCUAEtaX8.jpg:large

Having just won three of my last four tournaments, including a second Major championship, I was hoping that my success on the golf course would be the more popular topic of golfing conversation today. However the issue of my cultural identity has re-emerged, and with it, the matter of my national allegiance ahead of the Rio Olympics in 2016.

The naivety of the kid.

Indicative of the lack of progress to see the posts on regarding his allegience yet not a whisper about his back to back wins, or 3 out of 4 wins vs starts.

Never mind the posts on here, you should see the "Boycott Rory McIlroy" page on Facebook and some of the Neanderathal comments on both sides.

Nobody had quite clarified how they intend to boycott him. 

I'm sure he'll lose sleep over this!

[gerrykeegan]

Well done Shane Lowry. Great win for him

[laoislad]

Didn't see it gerry did you?
Fair play to Lowry.

[gerrykeegan]

He played really well, Ross fisher lipped out on 18 to miss out on play off, sky cut to lowry and someone I think it was lowry went " f**king hell" in a broad midland accent, think he won 350k

[laoislad]

He played really well, Ross fisher lipped out on 18 to miss out on play off, sky cut to lowry and someone I think it was lowry went " f**king hell" in a broad midland accent, think he won 350k

Mcilroy can go play for the Brits we have the Biffo 

[gerrykeegan]

At least lowry we be strong enough to hold the Olympic flag, rory looks like he would struggle.

[Orior]

At least lowry we be strong enough to hold the Olympic flag, rory looks like he would struggle.

Well done Shane ye boy ye.

[phpearse]

Real good lad is Shane. So down to earth. I know him from his amateur days and his swing and game haven't changed one bit. Delighted to see him do well. Nearly in another play off, finding the fairway bunker on the last and making bogie. Only with Ross Fisher making bogie as well, he could have been facing another play off with an English man. That win will give him another 2 year exemption on the European tour. Although he was sitting 63rd I think in the race to Dubai and no worries of keeping his card for another year this takes a lot of pressure of him. Not sure where he is up to now, I'm sure that win gets him into the season ending tournaments and chance of a few more euros.

[Orior]

I think it was Shane's caddie who wont be popular with Sky Sports for shouting "We f***ing done it!"

[Billys Boots]

Delighted for him; a bit of good news on a very dull weekend.