Rory backs caddie in Twitter spat

A TELEVISION commentator’s criticism of Rory McIlroy prompted an angry response from the US Open champion yesterday in Killarney.

McIlroy’s double-bogey six at the final hole of his opening-round 70 had seen the 22-year-old world number four find a fairway bunker off the tee and the greenside pond with his second shot, leading Jay Townsend, an American former European Tour player, to question his course management.

Townsend then took his criticism onto Twitter, calling his and caddie JP Fitzgerald’s course management “shocking” and “some of the worst I have ever seen beyond under-10s boys golf competition”.