Irish Sports
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24 Apr 13
00:25
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• Golfer could be spared choosing between Britain and Republic
• McIlroy may have to represent nation he played for as amateur
Ewan Murray guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 April 2013
Rory McIlroy may have the decision over which country he represents at the 2016 Olympic Games taken out of his own hands, with legislation potentially stating he must turn out for the Republic of Ireland.
McIlroy, from Holywood in Northern Ireland, has spoken of his unease over having to make a choice between Great Britain and the Republic when golf returns to the Olympic roster. The world No2 has even floated the possibility of dodging political sensitivities by opting not to play in Rio at all.
Now Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient, has revealed McIlroy may be spared the decision.
Dawson said: "I think because Rory's history of playing for Ireland at amateur level and, I think at World Cup level, that there may be a regulation within the Olympic rules that would require him to stay with that. It's quite ambiguous really but there is a rule that a player who has represented one nation at a previous world championships from certain countries, that carries with you."
McIlroy has twice played for Ireland at the World Cup. Dawson added: "Is the golf World Cup a world championship? Golf isn't structured the same way as other sports ... but I would very much like to take this burden of choice away from the player if we can possibly do it because it's not fair to him. I think he has made it pretty clear in one of two pronouncements that he's worried about it and the last thing we want is players worrying about this."
Dawson also highlighted his unhappiness with certain elements of the golfing fraternity in the United States, who have voiced their strong opposition to the proposed ban on anchored putting strokes. The ban, due to come into force in 2016, was subject to a comment phase which closed at the end of February.
The R&A and United States Golf Association will make an announcement on whether or not they will proceed with the ban later this year. "We have had some quite strong remarks from the PGA Tour and particularly from the PGA of America," Dawson said. "A comment period turned into a campaign, which was a bit unusual.
"The PGA of America know my views about this. I'm disappointed at the way that campaign was conducted. It put rule-making on to the negotiating table. People have taken position that they will now have to back off from or maintain."
Dawson stressed that the prospect of legal action against golf's ruling bodies, should they prohibit anchored strokes, is not one which fazes him.
"The game of golf doesn't need legal action, that's for sure," said the chief executive. "It would be disappointing were that to happen. Threats of legal action don't affect rule-making. Rule-making is done on what the rules people consider is in the best interests of the game."
• McIlroy may have to represent nation he played for as amateur
Ewan Murray guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 April 2013
Rory McIlroy may have the decision over which country he represents at the 2016 Olympic Games taken out of his own hands, with legislation potentially stating he must turn out for the Republic of Ireland.
McIlroy, from Holywood in Northern Ireland, has spoken of his unease over having to make a choice between Great Britain and the Republic when golf returns to the Olympic roster. The world No2 has even floated the possibility of dodging political sensitivities by opting not to play in Rio at all.
Now Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient, has revealed McIlroy may be spared the decision.
Dawson said: "I think because Rory's history of playing for Ireland at amateur level and, I think at World Cup level, that there may be a regulation within the Olympic rules that would require him to stay with that. It's quite ambiguous really but there is a rule that a player who has represented one nation at a previous world championships from certain countries, that carries with you."
McIlroy has twice played for Ireland at the World Cup. Dawson added: "Is the golf World Cup a world championship? Golf isn't structured the same way as other sports ... but I would very much like to take this burden of choice away from the player if we can possibly do it because it's not fair to him. I think he has made it pretty clear in one of two pronouncements that he's worried about it and the last thing we want is players worrying about this."
Dawson also highlighted his unhappiness with certain elements of the golfing fraternity in the United States, who have voiced their strong opposition to the proposed ban on anchored putting strokes. The ban, due to come into force in 2016, was subject to a comment phase which closed at the end of February.
The R&A and United States Golf Association will make an announcement on whether or not they will proceed with the ban later this year. "We have had some quite strong remarks from the PGA Tour and particularly from the PGA of America," Dawson said. "A comment period turned into a campaign, which was a bit unusual.
"The PGA of America know my views about this. I'm disappointed at the way that campaign was conducted. It put rule-making on to the negotiating table. People have taken position that they will now have to back off from or maintain."
Dawson stressed that the prospect of legal action against golf's ruling bodies, should they prohibit anchored strokes, is not one which fazes him.
"The game of golf doesn't need legal action, that's for sure," said the chief executive. "It would be disappointing were that to happen. Threats of legal action don't affect rule-making. Rule-making is done on what the rules people consider is in the best interests of the game."
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I know those are the probably the writers words and not yours AD but there is no Republic of Ireland AD it's just Ireland i believe.
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The wordage used in the article betrays a basic non understanding of some of the factors involved in this matter .
Great Britain implies England , Scotland ,and Wales and a few bits and bobs . Rory has no identity with anything in that mix , seldom plays there , and increasingly will not be on that part of planet earth . Any feeling of "Britishness " on Rorys part has to come from the political mish mash which bedevils Northern Ireland . Plus the occasional "gombeen " voice coming from the 26 counties which are not Northern Ireland . Both his parents grew up associated with the religion espoused almost exclusively by those labelled "nationalists" , natural to assume he is not diametrically opposed to the factors that involves . There are fewer and fewer 32 county United Ireland devotees on this island though , bit of a busted flush given the "solutions" inherent in Good Friday agreements plus. Increasingly citizens of Northern Ireland are having to cleave to the notion that their "homeland " is not like most other parts of the world , it consists of 2 different tribes trying ( or being forced) to come to terms with living together amicably , even if you dont particularly like or trust the other lot at present. Its still a 1922 problem , might have been resolved in 1912 with a different set of circumstances and with 2 world wars to fight in a spirit of complete comradeship . Neutrality didn't help subsequent to 1922 arrangements . He will continue to visit and play in the island of Ireland , under the auspices of the Golfing Union of Ireland , where he learned his golf and was looked after by the GUI . Plus his management company is in Dublin , albeit most of his golf will be played in USA and world wide . There are those in NI who would be upset if he played for the UK , and also those in NI who would be upset if he played for "Ireland " . So he cant win , only solution I can come up with would be for him to say he was representing the "Golfing Union of Ireland " , the oldest in the WORLD , as it is the jurisdictional Union ( golfing)for the whole island , set up pre 1922 and pre dating any subsequent political adjustments . Or he could just go on holiday to the south of France . |
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Could he not get married and play for Denmark,having Caroline grateful must be a bonus to him.
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More trouble as Poland would claim him.
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kelly tell rory if both sides are hounding him he can come down to the republic and claim asylum due to tribal issues
he is single, he will get €188 per week (food money) €122 per week (max) rent allowance medical card. monthly diet supplementary (if he qualifies) fuel allowance in the winter run up massive gas, esb and phone bills then head down to the idiots in st vincent de pauls and get 3 or 4 hundred euro. Plus if he gets a hole in one of one of our local girls and puts her in the clubhouse, no bother we will get the two of them a three bedroom house (not in social housing but private) and pony up their payment each time they have a kid but don't worry if the relationship doe's not work out we will leave her in the three bedroom house and rory can again apply for rent allowance for a single bedsit so now the tax payer can house the two of them. but thats not the best bit, the best part is even though he has money in the bank he need not worry as there are 50,000 or 60,000 with "tribal issues" down here with thousands of euro in the bank being paid this every week, also need not worry about playing golf in the rest of the world as just give them your bank details and he can be in and out of the country for weeks on end like the rest of them down here, oh and don't worry about heading back to the north, you would think as he said he was being hounded up the north by both sides the powers that be would frown on any visits back there but no he can actually visit the north as many times as he wishes with no questions from any quango's down here.  |
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We don't want him
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Golf and tennis should never have been included in the Olympics first day .
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A whole lot of sports are not geared to the Olympic set up , Vubiant , golf and tennis being prominent in that list . But some people obviously figured out some angle to persuade the authorities to "poach " these sports into the Olympic package . No doubt filthy lucre has a part to play in the overall equation .
Synchronised swimming to me was the initial wedge in the door , when I first saw it in the Olympics the concept of what started in Greece and the world's subsequent handle on that got shaken to its foundations . The current development of wheel based "sports" and other sports where technology is the paramount factor may be good for some people , but as an Olympic purist I find a lot of the recent "sports" incorporated in the Olympic package pretty boring . Soccer also does not fit into the Olympic setup to me , and it is probably the biggest "sport " in the world . When the word "sport" effectively is supplanted by the word "business" I tend to look the other way . |
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Spot on Rocketfingers. People on the "mainland" use "Republic of".
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we live on the mainland. i assume you mean britain.
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