The Official Golf Thread

[6th sam]

If it was Shane Lowry with the same achievements he'd be the best ever but because it's McIlroy people don't like to admit that he's the best Irish sportsperson.

He is definitely the best Irish Golfer by a long way. Best Irish Sportsman, well that depends on your sport and the criteria you use to judge it. It is a sport that is generally not accessible to all, and I say that as an avid golfer. As a GAA fan, I'd have Paidi O'Se, Hernry, TJ or DJ up there but, opinions etc...

Big fishes in a small pond (Katie Taylor is the same).

Very few true Irish sporting stars that have consistently done it at the top level internationally, that leaves you the likes of Keane, BOD, McIlroy etc... whether you like them or not.

Would BOD not be classified as a big fish in a small pond . Rugby is only a significant sport in 9 countries worldwide. Within most of those countries it is often only significant within an elite social class.

[thewobbler]

If it was Shane Lowry with the same achievements he'd be the best ever but because it's McIlroy people don't like to admit that he's the best Irish sportsperson.

He is definitely the best Irish Golfer by a long way. Best Irish Sportsman, well that depends on your sport and the criteria you use to judge it. It is a sport that is generally not accessible to all, and I say that as an avid golfer. As a GAA fan, I'd have Paidi O'Se, Hernry, TJ or DJ up there but, opinions etc...

Big fishes in a small pond (Katie Taylor is the same).

Very few true Irish sporting stars that have consistently done it at the top level internationally, that leaves you the likes of Keane, BOD, McIlroy etc... whether you like them or not.

Would BOD not be classified as a big fish in a small pond . Rugby is only a significant sport in 9 countries worldwide. Within most of those countries it is often only significant within an elite social class.

There must be 10,000 professional rugby players now. It's not soccer (what is?) but as team sports go it has to be the among the closest thing to a worldwide game that isn't soccer. Surely?

And BOD was among its brightest lights for the best part of a decade.

[Hound]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.   

[Ash Smoker]

If we are talking about how many million people know an Irish sports star, Eoin Morgan and Kevin O'Brien would be well up there.

[screenexile]

If we are talking about how many million people know an Irish sports star, Eoin Morgan and Kevin O'Brien would be well up there.

Who??

[Orior]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.

I never knew that. What are the two codes?

[JimStynes]

If we are talking about how many million people know an Irish sports star, Eoin Morgan and Kevin O'Brien would be well up there.

Who??

I've heard of Eoin Morgan but I've never heard of the other fella.

[lenny]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.

Ah come on Eileen, poor old Johnny Rea's not that famous.

[6th sam]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.

Mcgrath was outstanding and technically superior to Keane , but with EPL one of the best leagues in the world, Keane was the most influential player for the best team for a considerable period. Internationally he made ROI competitive against top teams . Re rugby and BOD, never mind soccer which is easily the top world sport recreationally and competitively, but  basketball , NFL, AFL, Rugby league and in his own country football and hurling , are far more popular than rugby . Even As a big O'Driscoll fan, and preferring rugby to soccer over the years, I have to admit that Keane is well ahead of BOD, on the basis of it being a serious achievement to reach the top ( arguably) in the world's highest profile sport .
McIlroy trumps Keane however because he was the undisputed world number one , in a major world sport

[restorepride]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.

Mcgrath was outstanding and technically superior to Keane , but with EPL one of the best leagues in the world, Keane was the most influential player for the best team for a considerable period. Internationally he made ROI competitive against top teams . Re rugby and BOD, never mind soccer which is easily the top world sport recreationally and competitively, but  basketball , NFL, AFL, Rugby league and in his own country football and hurling , are far more popular than rugby . Even As a big O'Driscoll fan, and preferring rugby to soccer over the years, I have to admit that Keane is well ahead of BOD, on the basis of it being a serious achievement to reach the top ( arguably) in the world's highest profile sport .
McIlroy trumps Keane however because he was the undisputed world number one , in a major world sport

Didn't know McIlroy is Irish.  Is he?  Does he know himself? 

[Tony Baloney]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.

Mcgrath was outstanding and technically superior to Keane , but with EPL one of the best leagues in the world, Keane was the most influential player for the best team for a considerable period. Internationally he made ROI competitive against top teams . Re rugby and BOD, never mind soccer which is easily the top world sport recreationally and competitively, but  basketball , NFL, AFL, Rugby league and in his own country football and hurling , are far more popular than rugby . Even As a big O'Driscoll fan, and preferring rugby to soccer over the years, I have to admit that Keane is well ahead of BOD, on the basis of it being a serious achievement to reach the top ( arguably) in the world's highest profile sport .
McIlroy trumps Keane however because he was the undisputed world number one , in a major world sport

Didn't know McIlroy is Irish.  Is he?  Does he know himself?

Depends what his sponsors want.

[restorepride]

Joey Dunlop?

The Irishman went on to win five successive World Formula One Championships (1982-1986) for Honda and it's his success on the roads that saw him become famous all around the world.

I seriously doubt if the average man in Clapham Common has heard of Joey Dunlop, let alone him being famous all around the world.

Road racing has roughly the same global appeal as hare coursing. It's an ultra  minority sport, despite UTV's wall to wall coverage.

—-

Jonathan Rea a better shout. But I just can't help thinking, who's that now?

Road racing has a massive following tbf , especially the NW , and Joey Dunlop was the undisputed king, but Road racing is not a worldwide competitive sport. It's a bit like saying Henry Shevlin is "world class" , which strictly speaking he is . Jonathan Rea's achievements are phenomenal but again it's a minority sport in terms of participation, and he competes in one of several different divisions, thus he doesn't capture the imagination in the same way as McIlroy or Keane

Absolutely. In likes of Spain and the Baltics, Joey at his peak would have been known more than Brian O'Driscoll or Paul O'Connell at their peak and dominated his sport more than they did.

It's a shame Jonathan Rea's sport doesn't get the coverage. He is superb, equivalent to Lewis Hamilton. Although also doesn't help that there's two motorcycle codes vying for top spot.

I don't get Keane's priority. Having attended pretty much every home competitive international that Roy and Paul McGrath both played, I would not be able to separate them. Both were great. Both won English player of the year once each (as did Brady). While Keane has more medals than McGrath, that's a reflection of playing for a better team. And McGrath played a massive hand in an unfashionable Villa team finishing league runner-up twice and winning two League Cups.

Hard to argue against Rory topping the list in terms of being the best in the world for a decent period in such a widely played and widely known sport.

Mcgrath was outstanding and technically superior to Keane , but with EPL one of the best leagues in the world, Keane was the most influential player for the best team for a considerable period. Internationally he made ROI competitive against top teams . Re rugby and BOD, never mind soccer which is easily the top world sport recreationally and competitively, but  basketball , NFL, AFL, Rugby league and in his own country football and hurling , are far more popular than rugby . Even As a big O'Driscoll fan, and preferring rugby to soccer over the years, I have to admit that Keane is well ahead of BOD, on the basis of it being a serious achievement to reach the top ( arguably) in the world's highest profile sport .
McIlroy trumps Keane however because he was the undisputed world number one , in a major world sport

Didn't know McIlroy is Irish.  Is he?  Does he know himself?

Depends what his sponsors want.

Get it now!  Go raibh maith agat!

[Milltown Row2]

[JimStynes]

Vol Rory McIlroy

[Kidder81]

Vol Rory McIlroy

Ha ha that's ceremonial, as opposed to him draping himself in the butchers apron after a Ryder Cup & also describing himself as British, you know his own words, not mine or yours.