McIlroy’s turn for major glory

ST ANDREW’S and the Open Championship. It certainly has a very special ring to it.

Few places in all of sport are so redolent with history and not many events had their origins as long ago as 150 years. The champions at the Home of Golf range from Tom Kidd in 1873 to Tiger Woods in 2005 and in between legends like Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus (twice), Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo, to mention but a few, have departed the “Old Grey Toon” bearing the claret jug aloft.

Demonstrating how difficult a thing it is to do, however, is the absence from the list of such illustrious names as Harry Vardon (who holds the record with six Opens to his credit), Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson. So the prize could hardly be greater for the man who prevails on Sunday evening next with a massive expectation among the huge number of Irish visitors here that our recent magnificent record in major championships can be maintained.