Chinese customs leaves hole in one in McIlroy’s golfing trophy collection

THE Chinese government has a history of detaining dissidents, but putting the US Open golf trophy under lock and key sounds too bizarre to be true.

Yet Chinese customs have the US Open trophy in their possession and they’re refusing to release it to Rory McIlroy or any of his representatives.

McIlroy had intended to showcase the trophy he won at Congressional in his closing six events of 2011 — the Lake Maclaren Shanghai Masters, the WGC-HSBC Champions, last week’s Mission Hills World Cup, this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open and his final two events of the year, the Dubai World Championship and the Asian Tour’s Thailand Golf Championship commencing on December 15 in Bangkok.

Next week’s European Tour season-ending event in Dubai is special, as McIlroy had been asked by the European Tour to bring the trophy so it could be put on display along with Charl Schwartzel’s Augusta National winning green jacket and the famed Claret Jug won by Darren Clarke at Royal St George’s.

But unless Chinese authorities back down, it will stay in Shanghai.

The United States Golf Association, who administer the US Open, along with International Management Group and McIlroy’s Dublin-based Horizon Sports have been working feverously to have the trophy returned.

The trophy was dispatched by McIlroy’s management company, International Sports Management (ISM) to Shanghai for the Shanghai Masters that McIlroy won in a play-off from American Anthony Kim.

However, that is the last time anyone has laid eyes on the trophy.

“ISM shipped the trophy out in its special protective box to Shanghai and the Lake Maclaren Shanghai Masters, but there was no one present at the course to receive it so it was taken back to the shipping agents depot,” said Horizon Sports’ Conor Ridge.

“But I was informed that China customs said they were now not releasing the trophy, and they still won’t give it to us,” said Mr Ridge.