Rory Mcilroy, Catholic Unionism And General Stupidity

First and foremost the boy done good. After his capitulation from a winning position a few short weeks ago at the Masters I have to admit I had written Mcilroy off as a bad betting proposition. Too short-priced given a professional record that included just two wins - and it needed to be remembered that he tried his damnedest to blow the first of those victories (in Dubai) and that in the second he bolted out of the pack on the final day without the pressure of having to lead. Well what do I know? Now he will definitely be an unappealing betting proposition, priced down to favouritism no doubt every time he turns up to play. Yep, just checked at the magic sign and he is 6/1 for the Open. If those odds are too skinny for your taste (they are for mine - I like to win big on the rare occasions I do win - adds to the fun) then have a look at Matt Kuchar at 33/1 and Henrik Stenson at 100/1. Stenson has been stinking the place out for a year or so now but he has been through these troughs previously and come back better than before. He showed some signs of form at the US Open as well as demonstrating his famous (and rather unswedish) bad temper by busting a shaft in two and then cutting himself on the offending implement. My sort of golfer. 

So well done the boy Mcilroy. Nice to stuff it to the American press who have taken to bitching about the world ranking system because they perceive it favours Europeans. Bollocks - it favours good golfers you one-eyed muppets. But a little something else caught my eye at the end of his triumphant process up the 18th hole and it is that I want to talk about. It seems I was not the only one to notice that some clown tried to foist an Irish tricolour on Mcilroy as he headed for the scorer's hut and our hero let it fall to the ground. To some rabid republican inhabitants of the ether this was apparently an act of disrespect, one presumably all the more wounding because Mcilroy happens to be a catholic and by some counts that should make him a knee-jerk supporter of the Free State. Fortunately no one was present to try to pin a Union Jack on him or worse still a Red Hand banner. Because you see these things matter to a certain stamp of Irishman. You can get a flavour of the emotions involved from the string of commentary appended to the innocuous footage of the incident:

http://youtu.be/qtztjwLhqSs

Calm down lads. The boy's twenty-two years old and has spent all his formative years playing golf at which he happens to be bloody good. Mind you there is a mischievous bit of me that would rather like it if he turned out to be a member of a that motley awkward squad, the Catholic Unionists. Recusant aristos, Evelyn Waugh perhaps, Norman St John Stevas definitely, Tony Blair, Ann Widdecombe. Oh and me. In my mind a modern Enobarbus would be a Catholic Unionist, just for the sheer hell of it, or possibly the sheer heaven.

PS. Since posting the above it turns out Henrik Stenson shot 64 in the first round in Munich this afternoon and Ladbrokes have already reacted by cutting him to 50/1 for the Open. The Overgraduate has a small interest at 100/1. Which is, of course, very clever but utterly useless unless he wins. Still, you heard it here first.