Martin McGuinness and Rory McIlroy made quite the pair at Royal County Down, the 18 holes of dunes and sand where this year’s Irish Open will be played over the next four days. The Deputy First Minister and the world number one golfer criss-crossed each other’s paths around the course on the Mourne coastline as the rain came in and the mountain disappeared in a low mist.
It is sometimes difficult to eclipse the Sinn Féin MLA but McIlroy carries purchase around these parts and his razzmatazz at the tournament he is hosting has brought this year’s PGA event to light more than any other in years.
Yesterday was Pro-Am day, the occasion where rich benefactors of McIlroy’s Foundation, this year a cancer fund for children, went deep into their pockets to play with him.
At the auction on Tuesday for one of the three places, bidding was lingering and McIlroy decided to move it on. "The price is £100,000 and if I don't get that I'll play on my own," he joked. But that's what he got from Billy Rosenthal, Fred Carillo and Tom Lovino, who arrived late at the first tee. "Looks like I will be out on my own," quipped the waiting McIlroy as he signed hats and programmes, his round starting 10 minutes late.
Three of the world's top 10 players, McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler, have been enticed over to play, but the stunning links course was McIlroy's stage. "Anything I earn this week is going to the foundation and the cancer fund," he said.
With a €416,660 cheque for the winner from a prize fund of €2.5 million, that could be quite a windfall for his charities.
Royal County Down is a course McIlroy knows and loves. No surprise he is currently the 3-1 bookmakers favourite. “I’m not really playing for myself this week. It gives me the incentive to go out there enjoy it and try to play well.”
Mr McGuinness is known to be more of a cricket man. It was no coincidence some of the players he spoke to after their round was Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke and legendary Australian bowler Shane Warne. They were playing with former Lions and Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris.
“I think Rory has put his own stamp on the Irish Open,” said Mr McGuinness. “We’ve the likes of Rory, Graeme [McDowell], we’ve got Darren [Clarke], captain of the Ryder Cup team, Pádraig Harrington, people who have all won Majors. What an achievement for such a small group,” he added.
