Rory’s New Year Message to Tiger

Editor’s note: Brian Keogh is a golf correspondent for The Irish Sun and a contributor to The Irish Times, Golf Digest Ireland and other golf publications. The following piece from Brian’s Irish Golf Desk is used with permission.

By Brian Keogh
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

RORY MCILROY’S HOMESICKNESS STAYED at bay just long enough to allow the former PGA Tour member to spend the New Year in New York.

The 21-year old Ulster star said last year that one of the reasons he was giving up his card was because he often felt lonely in the US. Fortunately, he had Ulster rugby centre Darren Cave for company as he took in the New York Knicks’ victory over the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Watching the game from the front rows, a la Spike Lee, McIlroy was dragged out for two minutes to talk to “Mobile Boost Celebrity Front Row” about being 21, the Ryder Cup, his hair and Tiger.

As an “outspoken” individual, he was asked for a “message” for Woods. Careful not to say anything too controversial following the furor over his post-US PGA comments, McIlroy said: “I think he is going to come back and do well next year, so, um, bring it, bring it.”

As for his own plans for 2011, McIlroy hopes he will be standing in Madison Square Garden in a year’s time as “hopefully, a major winner.”

McIlroy and Woods are likely to meet up at the $2.5m Omega Dubai Desert Classic from February 10-13.

Brian Keogh covers golf for The Irish Sun and contributes to a variety of golf publications. Pay him a visit at Irish Golf Desk.

‘Morning Drive’ Debuts on Golf Channel

“MORNING DRIVE,” A WEEKDAY SHOW covering the world of golf, teed off early this morning on Golf Channel. The show will air Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and is hosted by Erik Kuselias and Gary Williams. Kuselias came from ESPN; Williams was a sports show host on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Holly Sonders (above) was also recently added to the on-air team. Sonders’ broadcast experience includes stints as a news and sports reporter in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Columbus, Ohio. She was a four-year member of the Michigan State University Women’s Golf Team and helped the Lady Spartans win a Big Ten Championship.

The lineup for today’s premiere:

Today’s Topics
- 2011 Season Begins
- Aloha Champions
- NFL Playoff Set
- First Day of Stock Trading
- Obama in Hawaii

Business Report
- First Day of Stock Trading
- IRS Postpones Tax Filings for 50 Million
- Proctor & Gamble Postpones Tiger Advertising Campaign

Interview Schedule
7:45 a.m. - Tim Rosaforte
8:15 a.m. - Next Instructor Search Winner, Martin Hall
8:30 a.m. - Arnold Palmer

I didn’t see the first show, but there were a number of positive tweets. SI’s Gary VanSickle was not impressed, although he admitted that it might be a “rash judgment.”

“Morning Drive” on Web
“Morning Drive” on Twitter

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo courtesy of Golf Channel)

Martin Kaymer’s Golf Wish for 2011

MARTIN KAYMER HAS WON a major, the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits where he defeated Bubba Watson in a playoff. Kaymer was also closing in on World No. 1 until he cooled off at the end of the 2010 season. Now what does he want? What’s on the German golf star’s wish list for the 2011 season?

A hole-in-one. Wait, a hole-in-one? Yes, a hole-in-one.

If you’re like me, you were expecting something else. I was surprised, to say the least. That’s like my daughters asking for a pair of socks for Christmas. It’s something, but not exactly ambitious.

There’s a pretty good reason, though. Are you sitting down? Martin Kaymer has never made a hole-in-one. I find that shocking. No wonder he wants one. Imagine ascending to No. 1 golfer in the world—without a hole-in-one. People would say you’re undeserving. “He’s not worthy,” they’d say. I’m joking a little. Lee Westwood gets it.

But here’s what I wonder: How does a player of Kaymer’s caliber not have a hole-in-one? Not even in practice?

“I’ve never made one in my life …” he said.

Wow. He’s playing catch up with me, of all people. I have one. It was a long time ago. I’ll spare you that story.

Kaymer said he has other goals, too. He’d like to win another major this year, preferably the British Open. He’d like to establish himself as the best player in Europe and someday rise to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. He figured he wasn’t quite ready for No. 1 at the end of last season.

But that first hole-in-one would be sweet. It doesn’t seem like a lot to ask.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: blakehall, Flickr, Creative Commons license)