‘Open’ marriage for Fota newlyweds

It’s one thing sharing your wedding day with hundreds of friends and family. But it’s quite another to share it with 25,000 golf nuts.

But that’s just what newlyweds Eimear and James Cross had to do at Fota Island yesterday and the pair revelled in the attention as they arrived at the 18th green to “have a look” and see what all the fuss was about.

The couple tied the knot in St Michael’s Church in Glanmire and had initially expected a nice quiet day in the beautiful surroundings of Fota.

However, they found themselves mixing with the likes of GMac and Rory McIlroy in the clubhouse.

James, from Essex in London, said they were informed in late 2013 that the European Tour was coming to town on their wedding day.

“We found out back in December which was definitely interesting, but the hotel did a great job of convincing us,” he said.

“Looking around at all of this now and the sunshine and I must say it’s a lot of fun.”

Meanwhile, while RMac wilts in the heat of Fota, GMac is blossoming — much to the delight of thousands of sun-drenched fans.

The numbers don’t lie, as they say and, according to Hotels.com, searches for hotels in Cork are up 544% compared to the same period last year. Whether you’re from Cork or further afield, it’s pretty obvious that Fota Island is the place to be this weekend.

Graeme McDowell certainly seemed to be enjoying it, carding an eight under par round and shooting up the leaderboard.

Playing with Offaly’s Shane Lowry and defending champion Paul Casey, GMac said he was out to win “the battle of the beards” and was surprised and excited to be in strong contention.

“It’s hard not to just enjoy yourself this week with so many great fans out there, a much more user-friendly golf course [than Pinehurst]. Yeah, I am having a little fun with it,” said Mc Dowell.

The Northern Irish star also said the Cork crowd rooting for him was something he was not used to on the US tour.

“I’ve played in front of big crowds before, but maybe none as passionate as here,” he said. “There’s nothing quite like it when a crowd is pulling for you. It’s a fun experience, maybe something which I’ve never experienced before, except perhaps at a Ryder Cup. It’s fun to be part of this tournament, fun to be contending and this is my type of golf course.”

Other than that, GMac was hoping for good weather for the fans and more Irish guys on the leaderboard. That might be easier said than done.