Rory delays Ireland call

Rory McIlroy last night stressed that he is still a long way off declaring which country he intends to represent at the 2016 Olympics.

Golf’s world No 1 published an open letter via his Twitter account in the wake of quotes from a newspaper interview printed on Monday in which the 23-year-old from Holywood, near Belfast, indicated he may opt to play for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team rather than Ireland when his sport is re-introduced at the Rio Games four years from now.

McIlroy told a UK newspaper he was a British passport holder and “always felt more British than Irish” but did not state outright that he was about to declare his golfing allegiance to Team GB & NI.