Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

Given that this blog has in the past celebrated the achievements of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, the European Ryder Cup team and Padraig Harrington it’s shockingly remiss that I’ve not yet managed a post about Darren Clarke.   The big Dungannon man’s Open triumph was the pick of the bunch when it came to defying the odds.   At 42 most experts had written off his prospects of picking up a major title. Last night, though, the BBC got to screen its now traditional documentary, charting the home-coming of yet another major champion.   It was a bit of a tear-jerker, capturing emotional scenes as Darren brought the claret jug back to his family in Portrush and to his two sons. Now Clarke is a nice guy, but he’s not one of the generation of non-descript, clean-cut, identikit sports stars.   The documentary captured an awful lot of drinking, alongside the formal celebrations and (let’s be honest) a little on screen inebriation.   Some pompous asses h...

Rory McIlroy – what can you say?  Northern Irish golf has been in great shape in recent years and he is its David Healy .  It’s not just the record of astonishing, trail-blazing achievement: although Rory spent the week demolishing practically every US Open record (Sir David did much the same during the 2008 European Championship qualifying group).  It’s also in the way the two players conduct themselves. McIlroy has self-confidence - he buried any notion to the contrary this weekend, with a relentless march towards his first major golf championship – but he’s also pleasingly grounded.  What’s not to like? He plays a great sport and he’s mastered it at a young age.  He shows sportsmanship and poise on and off the course – even in the teeth of a supposed “melt-down” at the US Masters earlier this year. He’s a proud and enthusiastic ambassador for Northern Ireland.  No-one’s keener than Rory to fly the colours in the wake of a victory and he backs all of ...

A picture tells a thousand words ! Let's hope the week can continue in this vein for Northern Ireland 's sportsmen ( and women ).