The Official Golf Thread

Started by laoislad, December 28, 2006, 07:07:48 PM

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Maroon Heaven

Rory made a right dogs ear of his comments on the Olympics - Which happened 2 months ago.

He was asked would he like the opportunity to play alongside his mates Poulter & Casey in a GB olympic team to which he said he would. A journalist then turned it into a story where he turned his back on representing Ireland.

Rory is a GUI afflicated player - who has benefited from coming through the Irish Amateur status. He is very much non-political and should have seen this question coming. Graeme McDowell was asked a similar question to which he replied that he would love to be part of the London Olympics in 2012.

I've no idea who Rory McIroy will represent if asked, but I'd like to think he will play for Ireland alongside Harrington given a choice. I reckon he'd get more of a kick competiting against Poulter & Casey and playing alongside Harrington & GMac. This weekend he is playing for Ireland btw.


TheGreatRambo

QuoteIf you are McIlroy or Tommy Bowe and golf and rugby union are accepted into the 2016 Olympics at next week's vote of the International Olympic Committee, do you represent Great Britain or Ireland?

McIlroy told Telegraph Sport: "I'd probably play for Great Britain. I have a British passport. It's a bit of an awkward question still. It would be huge to play in an Olympics. I'd love to get an Olympic gold medal one day."

Sport on television It is strange that golf and rugby should be up for inclusion at the same time because these are the sports that have historically unified Ireland. Ulster's rugby team come under the governance of the Irish Rugby Football Union and players from the north and the south turn out for one Ireland team.

Golfers do the same. Formed in 1891 the Golfing Union of Ireland is the oldest golf union in the world and the presidency rotates between the four provinces. It does not matter if you hit your wedges in Ulster or Munster, you play amateur golf for Ireland.

Professional golf also recognises one Ireland. At November's World Cup in China there will not be a team from Northern Ireland and a team from the republic, there will just be a team from Ireland.

This year McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, both Ulster lads, will play for Ireland. Last year it was Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley, who is from the south. On many previous occasions it has been McGinley and Padraig Harrington.

McDowell said after the International Olympic Commitee's executive board proposed golf and rugby should be included in 2016 at a meeting last month: "It's a strange one. Golf's an all-Ireland sport. I'd play for anyone. I've never been able to explain why golf's an all-Ireland sport and rugby's an all-Ireland sport but soccer is two different teams. It'd be an honour to represent your country and I don't mind which one I play for.

"It's the biggest sporting event on the planet. I'd love to be involved in it, love to win a gold medal. It's every young man's dream, huge for golf around the world. Golf needs to go to the masses. I'm not a fan of golf being an elitist sport. Fingers crossed I get a chance to do it." It's a united-Ireland view.

Harrington said: "In a country like Ireland, becoming an Olympic athlete is setting yourself apart. It is a major deal in Ireland. To be an athlete is an honour in itself."

But Harrington will not have to make a choice if golf makes it to the Olympics. McDowell and McIlroy will have to state an allegiance, like so many athletes from Northern Ireland have before them. At the Beijing Olympics, Wendy Houvenaghel won a cycling silver medal for team GB while boxer Paddy Barnes won Ireland's first medal of the Games.

In Beijing the majority of athletes from Northern Ireland represented Ireland, but it was a close split. Some might even have considered which team they were more likely to qualify for. If the Olympics were held today, McIlroy would make the Ireland team but Paul Casey and Lee Westwood would keep him out of Great Britain's.

A few years ago, Eddie Irvine got in a quite undeserved bit of bother over what flag to hoist after he finished second in a Formula One race. Captain Peter McEvoy had a similar quandary at golf's 2001 Walker Cup. Someone had to hoist the tricolor at the opening ceremony but the two Irishmen in McEvoy's team, McDowell and Michael Hoey, were both from the north.

McEvoy says: "In the end it didn't prove a problem and Michael was happy to do it as the amateur champion, but it could have been. It is strange that something likes the Olympics comes along under the banner of good and we are now faced with this potential problem. It feels a bit of a retrograde step."

You can understand why golf might feel this way. Like rugby players, golfers sorted out their differences long ago – or at least learned to live with them – and now they may have to make a political decision in the name of sport.

Peter Dawson, the chief executive of golf's governing body, the R&A, said: "It's a question that has yet to be resolved, but I suspect that giving the players the choice is the likely outcome."

Perhaps that can change in the future. Perhaps young men and women will not have to make such an invidious choice. Perhaps golf and rugby's inclusion in the Olympics can provide a bridge to unite Ireland across all sports.

There is the story there, as someone else said he probably answered the question poorly

Minder

"Poorly" or just not what people wanted to hear?
"When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us"

Maroon Heaven

I've seen the article - and spoke to him on it as well.

It upset him him alot after the abuse he got from people making an issue of it. Its his choice and he was ribbing Poulter at the time

TheGreatRambo

Quote from: Minder on November 23, 2009, 05:34:47 PM
"Poorly" or just not what people wanted to hear?

Less diplomatically than he could have, McDowell answered it perfectly... But hes only young and shoots from the hip a bit rather than thinking too much. Bit like the Ryder Cup comments he made that were blown out of all proportion.

Personally I couldn't give a stuff who he plays for, golf is for all intents and purposes an individual sport and he'll be hopefully remembered for winning multiple majors. Most golf fans can tell you how many majors Nicklaus, Woods, Faldo etc have but how many can remember their Ryder Cup records.

Orior

Quote from: Maroon Heaven on November 23, 2009, 05:40:24 PM
I've seen the article - and spoke to him on it as well.

It upset him him alot after the abuse he got from people making an issue of it. Its his choice and he was ribbing Poulter at the time

I'd like to hear Donagh's insight on this.

Donagh?
Cover me in chocolate and feed me to the lesbians

magickingdom

Quote from: Maroon Heaven on November 23, 2009, 05:40:24 PM
I've seen the article - and spoke to him on it as well.

It upset him him alot after the abuse he got from people making an issue of it. Its his choice and he was ribbing Poulter at the time

you spoke to who? mcllory? he made it quite clear in a number of articles that i read that he would play for britian in the olympics. thats his choice. mcdowel on the other hand made it quite clear he would play for ireland or britian

Maroon Heaven

Quote from: magickingdom on November 23, 2009, 08:15:12 PM
Quote from: Maroon Heaven on November 23, 2009, 05:40:24 PM
I've seen the article - and spoke to him on it as well.

It upset him him alot after the abuse he got from people making an issue of it. Its his choice and he was ribbing Poulter at the time

you spoke to who? mcllory? he made it quite clear in a number of articles that i read that he would play for britian in the olympics. thats his choice. mcdowel on the other hand made it quite clear he would play for ireland or britian

I have spoken to McIlroy on it.

I am surprised there has been many articles on it. He made one 20 second comment in a Press conference in September and was told by his manager the next day - Never to talk on it again. 

magickingdom

interesting, i now mcllory and mcdowell are representing ireland in the world cup this w/e. also for the olympics my understanding is that there will only be 2 golfers per country so mcllory would have a far better chance of getting on an irish team. . i'd love to see him represent ireland

ludermor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8374153.stm

Rory McIlroy's consolation on missing out on the European number one spot for 2009 was his move into the world's top 10 for the first time.

Lee Westwood's triumph at the Dubai World Championship enabled the Englishman to pip McIlroy to the Race to Dubai title.

However, McIlroy's third place saw him move up from 13th to 10th in the latest world rankings.

McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are the only 20-year-olds to have made the top 10.

Westwood, whose six-stroke victory denied McIlroy the Race to Dubai title, is back up to his career-high position of fourth.

Tiger Woods was 21 when he first entered the world's top 10 in 1997.

Despite being pipped by Westwood, McIlroy picked up a cheque of £960,000 in Dubai with his £290,000 tournament prize added to by a £669,762 end-of-season bonus.

Padraig Harrington is top Irishman in sixth position while Graeme McDowell faces a battle to guarantee himself a place in next year's Masters as he is currently 51st in the rankings.


606: DEBATE
I am sure Tiger sees McIlroy as his biggest threat to the number one spot over the next couple of years

Sportsmadmark
The top 50 at the year end will be certain of places at Augusta.

"I was trying to become the youngest player since Seve (Ballesteros) to win the title," said McIlroy before moving on to China for his World Cup debut this week.

"I haven't been able to do it and I'm disappointed, but when I look back on the season it's been fantastic.

"It's been a great learning curve. I've played well in the majors and I know I can compete against the best players in the world now."

In China, McIlroy partners Graeme McDowell, with whom he won three out of four games for Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe at the Vivendi Trophy in September.

"It would be great to win and bring the trophy home to Northern Ireland!" he joked with Irish reporters in Dubai.

In golf the two countries compete as one and Dubliners Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were successful in 1997.

When it comes to the Olympics, however, McIlroy has already said he intends to compete for Great Britain if he qualifies.

Maroon Heaven

Quote from: ludermor on November 24, 2009, 08:27:44 PM


When it comes to the Olympics, however, McIlroy has already said he intends to compete for Great Britain if he qualifies.

No he has not - All he has done is made one 20 sec comment on it and has not talked about it in public since. The comment was made to rib Ian Poulter up.

Anyhow Rory made this comment on his twitter page in last few hours.

QuoteMuch like rugby, golf falls under the whole island of ireland, therefore if you are from ulster you play for Ireland.

http://twitter.com/Rorsmcilroy


mackers

Poorly judged comments all the same, although I see he and McDowell represented Ireland well earlier today, 14 under better ball score!! :o :o
It's just one shot off the fourball record score of 15 under and three shots ahead after the first round.  They were always going to be some partnership in fourballs, interesting to see how they get on in the foursomes.......
Rory could be standing under the tricolour singing the National Anthem on Sunday morning........ ;)
Keep your pecker hard and your powder dry and the world will turn.

Maroon Heaven

Quote from: mackers on November 26, 2009, 01:16:06 PM
Rory could be standing under the tricolour singing the National Anthem on Sunday morning........ ;)

Lets hope so.... His dad will certainly belt it out.

magickingdom

some performance by the two of them today tho rory barely made it up the 18th! hopefully they can keep it up, its not that strong a field so they have a great chance here. .

The Real Laoislad

Harrington tops the leaderboard on -6 in Los Angeles
You'll Never Walk Alone.