What a shame that the Leveson inquiry into ethics in journalism isn’t still going on, because quite frankly I could do with some advice.
You know the old adage about if you get a good story, go to the source to check it out? That’s what the man from the Telegraph and I did at the Players Championship two weeks ago.
Having heard that Rory McIlroy was firing the manager who conducted his megabucks Nike deal to go on his own and had it confirmed by an impeccable source — Graeme McDowell, no less — we waited patiently until we could speak to Rory on our own.
‘What are you talking about?’ said McIlroy.
Now Rory is well-liked among the press corps, mainly because he gives a straight answer to a straight question.
But just in case he was using semantics, we asked the question every conceivable way.
Repeatedly offered the chance of saying something along the lines of, ‘Look lads, there’s something happening but I can’t go into it right now’, McIlroy resisted.
‘Nothing’s changed, and nothing is changing,’ he added.
By his side, the man from his management company, Horizon Sports, was getting increasingly upset. ‘Look guys, Horizon are far more professional than this,’ he said. ‘If Rory was leaving, it would all be done properly with an official statement, not like this.’
Fair enough, we thought. How do you print a story when the denial is as strong as that? A week later, G-Mac repeated his assertion at the Volvo World Match Play in Bulgaria and this time the reporters who were gathered went for it.
Is it true or not? So far we’ve heard nothing more from Rory and nothing more from Horizon. McDowell is such an open man that you can only think it is true, but, in turn, where would that leave Rory’s reputation for honesty? And why is no-one prepared to offer some semblance of an explanation as to what is actually going on?
I guess we might find out some answers this week at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where I was also planning to ask McIlroy if, as another impeccable source has told me, it is true he’s skipping the European Tour’s flagship event next year. He’s no great fan of the course, so it certainly sounds plausible.
Perhaps I’ll ask G-Mac instead.
Uihlein busy making a name for himselfQUOTE OF THE WEEK
'Els, Montgomerie, Westwood, Ballesteros, Norman, Lyle, Faldo, Player, Palmer. To thrust yourself on to a trophy with names like that — it’s just crazy stuff really. This feels pretty special.'
You might recall our recent prediction that this will be a big summer for Graeme McDowell. On Sunday, he won his second title in five weeks at the Volvo World Match Play Championship. Here’s another prediction: don’t be surprised if this is the year when he wins his second major.When your father is head honcho at Titleist, there are undoubtedly some perks if you want to make a living at golf. Unlimited clubs, balls and certain playing opportunities represent a decent start. But there must be burdens because top-class professional golf is not liberally sprinkled with men born with silver spoons in their mouths.
So congratulations to Peter Uihlein, a young American who resisted the easy way out, trawled round some of Europe’s most unglamorous spots on the Challenge Tour, and got his reward on Sunday by winning the Madeira Open, his first professional title.
His appearance at the PGA at Wentworth this week, therefore, owes nothing to his dad Wally’s connections.
The 23-year-old has thoroughly earned it.
Chapman hopes cream rises to topIt is 12 months now since Roger Chapman began composing his wonderful fairytale, where he went from being a serial underachiever on the European Tour to winning two senior majors in the space of as many months.
Defending the title: Roger Chapman will put his USPGA title on the lineEvery time I’ve seen him since he’s continued to look like the cat who got the cream. This week, he puts the first of those titles on the line, when he defends the USPGA in St Louis. A couple of miles from his house, at another PGA at Wentworth, there will be no shortage of people wishing the popular Englishman well.
This is the day when we finally find out whether the anchored putting stroke is to be consigned to history. If, as expected, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and the United States Golf Association stick to their guns and ban it, the more interesting part might be the reaction of the opposition: the PGA Tour, representing US-based tournament pros, and the PGA of America, who look after club professionals.As R&A chief executive Peter Dawson put it, they’ve placed themselves in a position where they will have to give ground or dig in their heels. For the good of the game, we can only hope it is the former.More... McDowell battles to Match Play title with narrow victory over Jaidee in Bulgaria Poulter backs teenage US Open hopeful Horsfield to hit the heights
