Golf, by TourMiss

Double Major winning Rory McIlroy paid a price for his missing clubs, jet lag and some wayward drives on the opening day of the Irish Open. The highest world ranked player in the field signed for a three over par 74 that included just three birdies but also double the number of bogeys to be trailing 10 shots behind ‘Flying Finn’ Mikko Illonen. The 34-year old Illonen birdied five of his closing seven holes to set a new course record of a seven under par 64 and 10 shots fewer than McIlroy. McIlroy ...

Finland’s Mikko Ilonen ignored the script to easily outshine his more-fancied local rivals on the opening day of the Irish Open. Illonen, 34 celebrated his 300th European Tour event setting a new course record of a seven-under par 64 in superb scoring conditions on the Fota Island course in Cork. The ‘Flying Finn’ birdied five of his closing seven holes to set a new course after major changes to the course since the staging of the 2002 Irish Open. Illonen headed to lunch leading by ...

Ryder Cup winning hero Graeme McDowell has backed suggestions the biannual showdown between Europe and the USA could one day be staged in Dubai. With the 2020 Ryder Cup headed for France future venues remain up for grabs with Turkey already expressing interest in hosting the golf world’s biggest team showcase. Last January the Omega Dubai Desert Classic celebrated its 25th anniversary while next year the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will herald the 10th staging of the event in the UAE capital. Also ...

A controversy has erupted on Twitter over Rory McIlroy’s missing golf clubs. Twitter users have used the social networking site to single out United Airlines claiming ‘preferential treatment’ after McIlroy’s clubs went missing from North Carolina via Newak, New Jersey and then onto Dublin. McIlroy used Twitter to question the airline about the whereabouts of his clubs he needs to compete in this week’s Irish Open at Fota Island.  ·  Hey @united landed in Dublin ...

One of Paul McGinley’s earliest Irish Open memories was being left star-struck as Christy O’Connor Sr gave everyone the sign of the Cross as he lifted off in a ‘spaceship’. It was 1975 and McGinley was just nine years old. His father, Michael took McGinley to Woodbrook Golf Club in Co. Wicklow where O’Connor’s young nephew, Christy O’Connor Jr won his first-ever European Tour event from Scotsman Harry Bannerman. But it was memories of O’Connor Sr that live with McGinley 39-years on ...

Double European Tour winning Shane Lowry has likened this week’s Irish Open as a fifth Major for the big contingent of Irish competing this week at Fota Island in Cork. Lowry and fellow former Irish Open winner Padraig Harrington are among 27 Irish contesting the event and a dozen years after the event was last staged in sports-mad Munster. And while Irish expectations will be sky high, for Lowry and Harrington there is also not the pressure of trying to win the event for a first time. “For all ...

Double Open Champion Padraig Harrington has joined the chorus praising the decision to take the 2019 Open to Royal Portrush. And while Harrington will be 47 years at the time, he’s already looking forward to only the second British Open to be staged on Irish soil. “It’s unbelievable the Open is coming back to Ireland,” he said. “Well, certainly it as unbelievable three, four years ago as it was then such a long shot. “But after the success of the Irish Open in 2012 at Portrush the R & ...