Former PGA Tour player said McIlroy’s comments about growing the game were ‘dog shit’

Nothing acts as fuel for the fire to any player than the suggestion that appearance fees are the primary motive for playing in a tournament, which is exactly what irked Rory McIlroy after player-turned-broadcaster Kevin Kisner implied the Masters champion’s choice of playing in India for a second straight year.

Speaking on the Fore Play podcast, Kisner questioned the real reason for McIlroy playing in Delhi in the DP World India Championship.

“That is such a dog shit comment,” said Kisner of questioning McIlroy’s decision to play, “but I guess for the right price, we could all say that comment. He doesn’t want to globally expand (golf) in India, he wants to get his $10 million bucks and go play in India.

“I know there’s a pile of guys that got paid for that event. How else would you get that event in India with eight billion people in the middle of the city?”

Kisner retired from the PGA Tour to focus on a career in broadcasting with American network NBC, but ironically still plays on the TGL virtual golf league started by McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

In his response to Kisner’s comments, McIlroy observed: “I don’t know why me being in India would be something Kis needs to comment on. ”

“Two things can be true at the same time,” he added. “People can get paid to come play in a tournament but at the same time do it from a place of a genuine interest of trying to bring the sport to another country, a developing country, a country where the middle class in India is larger than the whole population of the United States. It’s a huge market for golf.”

Local knowledge helps Powerscourt to Irish Times Shield

The Irish Times Shield and the Irish Open share one thing in common – they were both played for the first time in 1927!

And hosts Powerscourt Golf Club will have the honour of defending The Irish Times Shield in next year’s centenary edition of the popular inter-club competition after using local knowledge to great effect to fend off Dún Laoghaire in ideal playing conditions at West Course, succeeding Castle as champions.

Confined to four-man teams (with the best three scores counting) and players with handicaps of nine or less, Powerscourt’s team of Donal Hurley (9) Gerard Murphy (5), Mark Kissane (5) and Mark McKevitt (5) claimed the shield, with Murphy producing a superb 41 points in helping his team to success.

Irish international Will O’Riordan from Greystones, playing off plus-4, shot a four-under-par 68 to claim the individual gross prize, while Castle’s Stephen Finlan took the individual nett prize with 42 points playing off seven.

Word of Mouth

“I think this tournament means everything to me because you have the chance to play in front of all your family and friends and in front of all the amazing fans, it’s just amazing . . . it’s a dream come true to win at home, and I think I’m lucky to win it twice. I hope this is just the beginning” – Ruoning Yin on winning the Buick LPGA event in Shanghai on home turf.

By the Numbers: 2

There are two Irish players – Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh – competing in this week’s BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea on the LPGA Tour.

On this day… October 20^th 1974

Peter Oosterhuis was the dominant player of the early years of the PGA European Tour, winning the Harry Vardon Trophy for topping the order of merit in each of the circuit’s first three seasons from 1972 to 1974. He had also topped the money list in 1971, the year before the new tour was founded.

His victory in the weather-affected Italian Open came at Venezia where rounds of 37-72-70-70 for a two-under-par total of 249 gave him a two strokes winning margin over Dale Hayes and Jonny Miller. The first round was reduced to nine holes due to severe weather.

That success was the sixth of seven – his seventh would come with a playoff victory over Manuel Ballesteros in the following week’s El Paraiso Open in Spain – but his appearances on the European Tour would be reduced considerably in subsequent years after the Englishman earned his PGA Tour card at Q-School and effectively committed to the US circuit before going on to a fine second career as a broadcaster.

Social Swing

Thanks to everyone for a great week in India and refreshingly different test ☘️ @DPWorldTour – Shane Lowry, who finished in tied-15^th in the DP World India Championship. Lowry remains 16^th in the Race to Dubai and has a short break before finishing his season in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Guess how much time I spend practicing putts inside 3ft? – Michael Kim interacting with @engineeringgolf

The answer is zero. Better use of my time elsewhere. Even if I miss 1 or 2, in the grand scheme of things I don’t need to practice something I’m 99% accurate on. I do practice making sure I start putts online about 5-10 mins a day. Short putts are mostly about alignment and starting putts online and nothing else. So I do get some practice that way – Kim providing the answer to his question with some added insights

Know the Rules

Q: A player realises that their putter shaft became bent when they slammed it into the ground after scoring an 8 on the previous hole. They want to continue to use the club with the bent shaft. What is the ruling?

A: The player may continue to use the club in its damaged state for the rest of the round.

Explanation Under Rule 4.1a(2), “If a conforming club is damaged during a round, it is treated as conforming and may still be used for the rest of the round.”

In the Bag

Eugenio Chacarra – DP World India Championship

Driver – Titleist GTS2

Irons – TaylorMade Tour Preferred UDI (1), TaylorMade P-770 (3), TaylorMade P-7MC (4-9)

Wedges – Titleist Vokey SM10 (43, 48 and 53 degrees), Titleist Vokey SM11 (60 degrees)

Putter – TaylorMade Spider Tour S

Ball – Titleist Pro V1