Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn insists he’s heard only rumours about an Irish Open move to Royal County Down but wonders if it’s time there was a Northern Irish Open.

Sometimes the right guy does come first.

Rory McIlroy last night called on the European Tour Players’ Committee to resist any temptation to award Colin Montgomerie a second Ryder Cup captaincy and again called for Ireland’s Paul McGinley to be handed the job of leading Europe’s defence at Gleneagles in 2014.