THEY will not be reduced to a supporting role by any means in today’s third round, but Rory McIlory and Graeme McDowell will start their day trailing the four leading Irishmen in this Irish Open, presented by Discover Ireland, field.

AS Rory McIlory walked from the 18th green on Sunday evening to the scoring room to present his card for the final round of his victorious US Open golf tournament somebody from the crowd threw a tricolour at him.

IT feels, this week and in this country, like someone should gently place a Sinatra record under a record player stylus as we bob downstream together towards oblivion.

Rory McIlory was faced with a three-shot deficit and far tougher conditions when he began his second round of the 139th Open Championship at St Andrews today.

Justin Rose was relieved to stay in contention with leader Rickie Fowler after the second round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Ohio.

Ryder Cup team-mates Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood led the European bid to succeed Paul Casey on the Shell Houston Open victory podium after the defending champion withdrew due to injury.

FIVE of the seven Irish starters have qualified for the final 36 holes of the Open Championship at Turnberry. They are led on one over par by Graeme McDowell followed by Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, both two over, and Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlory, three over.

Rory McIlory has finished in a tie for 13th place at the Honda Classic in Florida.

TODAY, they’ll be honoured at a glittering awards ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin. Thereafter, who knows where their special talent can take them?

Walker Cup players Lloyd Saltman and Rory McIlory safely came through the first stage of the European Tour’s qualifying school at The Oxfordshire.