United set to reunite McIlroy with clubs

Rory McIlroy will be reunited with his missing clubs this morning after sending out an SOS to United Airlines but Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley played the national card, joking: "I didn’t think you could lose those on a private plane."

Told McIlroy had flown commercially with United, McGinley beamed: “This is what happens if you use American airlines. If he had gone Aer Lingus, it wouldn’t have happened.”

McIlroy flew back from the US Open via Newark to Dublin on United Airlines on Monday but was dismayed to discover that his Nike sticks were not on the carousel.

Twenty-four hours later he still had no clubs and tweeted: “Hey @united landed in Dublin yesterday morning from Newark and still no golf clubs... Sort of need them this week... Can someone help!?

Within four hours he had a reply from the airline guaranteeing that they would be with him early today, giving him time to practice ahead of today’s Irish Open Pro-Am at Fota Island.

McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty said: “The clubs didn’t arrive on our flight yesterday and were due in today but no sign.

“United have confirmed they will arrive tomorrow morning.”

Losing clubs is an occupational hazard, as Shane Lowry and others have discovered several times already this year.

European Ryder Cup skipper McGinley certainly felt for his No 1 player, explaining: “One of the perils of the travelling we do is losing your clubs, and it is an issue.

“But I’m sure the fact that once the American airlines find out it’s Rory McIlroy’s clubs, there will be people scurrying around the world to find them.”