Golf

Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Paul Lawrie become honorary members of R&A

Quiet chatter about Old Course sub-60 club having a new member

Rory McIlroy lines up a put during a practice round on the Old Course. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy lines up a put during a practice round on the Old Course. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images
Philip Reid
Wed Jul 13 2022 - 19:22

Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Paul Lawrie have accepted invitations to become honorary members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

The trio have 20 major titles between them – McIlroy (4), Woods (15) and Lawrie (1) – and join a select group to have been made honorary members.

McIlroy said he was “thrilled” to accept membership, adding: “It’s a privilege to represent a club that has done so much for golf over so many years and I’m proud to play my part in promoting golf around the world.”

Pádraig Harrington is also an honorary member, having been honoured back in 2020 along with Catriona Matthew, Ernie Els and Nick Price.

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13 under?

Although the stiff winds which have been a constant presence ahead of the championship have quieted chatter about possible 59s and even lower, Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, is ready to shake the hand of anyone performing such a feat.

“My philosophy has always been to set up the golf course fair, challenging and let these guys show us how good they are,” said Slumbers, adding: “59 is 13-under-par around this golf course. There’s 7,300 yards. It’s got greens that are running 10 ½ to 11 (in speed). It’s got fairways where the ball is bouncing 50 yards if it’s hit and more if it catches the downslope.

“13-under-par around that? I’ll tell you what, if someone shoots that, I will be the first person on the 18th green to shake their hand because they have played outstanding golf.”

Binchy watches over Fleetwood

Áine Binchy was in notable company at the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night, where four Irish players – Pádraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry – were also in attendance and Jack Nicklaus, present for the last time, bid his farewell to one and all.

A native of Rosses Point and living in Galway, Binchy is chairman of The Open championship committee and comes with a strong golfing pedigree: her father, the late Seán Flanagan, was a stalwart of Co Sligo Golf Club; her brother Kevin captained the Irish men’s golf team, nephew Seán won the North of Ireland in 2016.

Binchy is also one of several Irish rules officials on duty at St Andrews, and has been allocated the group of Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose for the first round.

Number: 9

There are nine Irish caddies on bags at this week’s championship: Greg Milne (Richard Bland), Owen Craig (John Catlin), JP Fitzgerald (Thomas Detry), Ronan Flood (Pádraig Harrington), Jude O’Reilly (Takumi Kanaga), Ricky Elliott (Brooks Koepka), Harry Diamond (Rory McIlroy), Simon Keelan (Séamus Power), Bo Martin (Shane Lowry).

Quote

“What surprised me most is all the space off the tee where you’re trying to play it into other fairways or just weird stuff like that. I didn’t really expect playing into opposite fairways as often as we may be doing. It can get a little dangerous out there at times just with the whole crisscross” – world number one Scottie Scheffler’s first impression of the Old Course.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times