Irish Open

Selected tee-times for RD 1
10 07:40 Darren CLARKE Luke DONALD Danny WILLETT
10 07:50 Graeme MCDOWELL Lee WESTWOOD Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ
10 08:00 Martin KAYMER Rory MCILROY Rickie FOWLER
10 08:10 Michael HOEY Stephen GALLACHER Marc WARREN
10 08:20 Matteo MANASSERO Kevin PHELAN George COETZEE
10 08:30 Paul MCGINLEY Paul LAWRIE Robert KARLSSON
1 12:30 Damien MCGRANE Thorbjørn OLESEN Alexander LEVY
1 12:40 James MORRISON Anirban LAHIRI Thongchai JAIDEE
1 12:50 Padraig HARRINGTON Mikko ILONEN Sergio GARCIA
1 13:00 Ernie ELS Shane LOWRY Francesco MOLINARI
1 13:10 Victor DUBUISSON Tommy FLEETWOOD Byeong Hun AN
1 13:20 Pablo LARRAZÁBAL Andy SULLIVAN Bernd WIESBERGER
1 13:30 Marcel SIEM Kiradech APHIBARNRAT Ross FISHER
1 13:40 Peter HANSON Nicolas COLSAERTS David HOWELL

I thought with no thread for European tour events I would create one just for the Irish Open as it happens I am heading to it on Thursday and Friday!! Looking forward to it.

Some great groups there, sirb, Hope you enjoy it.

really looking forward to seeing RCD on the tv. i think its a pity that its only going to be there for one year. massive crowds are expected- a rarity for the ET!

Great field, which makes last week's relatively poor one even harder to understand - unless the likes of Sergio have failed to appreciate that RCD is in NI and therefore subject to UK tax regulations.

Only taxed if you earn something though I think?

Perhaps Sergio has a sneaky plan to miss the cut and have a weekend in Belfast or Dublin on Guinness Bushmills & Jamesons and feasting on the many take away fried chicken outlets.

Thanks Kwini, I am really looking forward to it!

This is the first time in a while that Westwood has played the Irish Open isn't it? Good to see he's over his starch intolerance.

Looks like they are going to have typical lousy Irish weather. Not in Rory's favour is that.

Wonder how often we will hear "luck of the Irish"

super_realist wrote:Wonder how often we will hear "luck of the Irish"

Probably not as much as "Mashed Potato"

I thought the admins told us we weren't allowed to mention potatoes!

Maybe it's like the N word in USA. Black people can use it but if anyone else does it's derogatory. Maybe only the Irish can say "spuds" with impunity.

Cant wait to see this course on TV. It was on my shortlist for my 50th birthday weekend but for logistical reasons and the fact that Muirfield had the Open that year, it lost out to Muirfield and the other delights of East Lothian, My thinking was "I'll save RCD for my 55th or 60th" I suspect what will happen though is that I'll tune in tomorrow and start arranging my 53rd birthday trip to Newcastle N.I.

Roller_Coaster wrote:Only taxed if you earn something though I think?

Not necessarily no. That's why a lot of them stay away!

MustPuttBetter wrote:

Roller_Coaster wrote:Only taxed if you earn something though I think?

Not necessarily no. That's why a lot of them stay away!

Eh?? How can you be taxed on something you haven't earned??

Would HMRC expect income from earnings made elsewhere? Even if they were taxed elsewhere (or is that the issue?)

JAS, I'm not sure how it works, but I think it's taken as a percentage of your global earnings in relation to the proportion you have played in the UK, even if you earn nothing in the UK it might take into account stuff like image rights, sponsorship, appearance fees etc. So even if you finish dead last, you might still find you pay more tax than you've earned on that trip.

It needs sorting out really as British sport is really suffering as a result.

Britain is among a handful of countries which operate a tax on endorsement income in sport and entertainment, writes Roger Blitz.
Professional sports players sign up to contracts with sports goods makers and other companies to promote their products while they compete. The Treasury brings the player’s income into the UK tax net, applying an income tax rate according to the number of days he or she plays in the UK.
For example, a player who earns £200,000 a year by endorsing a sports shoe and appears in the UK for 5 days out of a total of 70 playing days a year would pay more than £7,000 to Revenue & Customs.
That is on top of the tax he or she would pay on prize money and appearance fees.

Taken from an article HERE

Top three not otherwise exempt qualify for Open Championship provided they are also in the top ten. For a fleeting moment, that would include L.Donald.

Looks like Rory's offer of donating his prize money this week to charity may be an empty gesture.

I wonder what his excuse will be this time. Surely doesn't need another weekend off!

Too much going on around the golf I expect.

Wtf, just had a first look at the leaderboard...when he has a head-off, he really has a head-off.

Maybe he needs to get back with Wozy so he can dump her again

Think he probably prefers the U.S. these days.

Simon Dyson struggling.....my heart bleeds!

Is anyone watching this?

If so, what the hell is Rory doing?

In fairness scoring does look very difficult across the board

I see Matty Fitzpatrick has abandoned his mothers teet long enough to put a decent round together.

Maybe Rory is overrated?

pedro wrote:Maybe Rory is overrated?

You're joking, right?

I often sense a lack of sympathy on here where Rory has a bad day at the office - is he really not very well liked?

I wasn't a massive fan when he was up and coming, he was very arrogant and it came across when he posted on bbc 606, but TBF I think he's a lot better these days.......and you can't deny the standard of golf he plays is breathtaking......except the past week of course!

Davie wrote:I often sense a lack of sympathy on here where Rory has a bad day at the office - is he really not very well liked?

Not by those of us that picked him in the fantasy league for the last two weeks!

He is Irish, and as we know, all things tatty munching are disliked on this board.

It is easy to not like something that is popular or sucessful, some people do it just to go against the grain. Like when people say i do not like the Beatles, and name some obscure group that sold 10 copies in 1978 as their favourite band.

Anyway, I like Rory, he comes across well when interviewed, and thats all i can judge it on.

McLaren wrote:He is Irish, and as we know, all things tatty munching are disliked on this board.

I've noticed that he's Irish when playing poorly and British when winning majors...curious

inco

That sounds like paranoia?

No it sounds like Andy Murray

davie

Has Andy ever been accused of being Irish?

I suppose Richie Ramsay is Irish too

No you dafty.

But The Proclaimers are.

n't

Simon Dyson has w/d'ed.

Just wondering how long it takes the average 10 Handicap to play Royal County Down.  With all the blind shots and long rough, how does a player find his golf ball?

Mac,
Why do you persist in making snarky Matt Fitzpatrick comments? It seems to me he's doing just fine. Or at least a darn sight better than 99.9% of 20-year-olds are doing.

I guess for the same reason you make snarky tiger comments.

Man, you could have taken a boat load of money from me if you bet that Rory would miss the cut in these two European events. (Assuming tomorrow is more of the same.)

I still look for him to win 1 or 2 of the remaining majors this year.

I try to avoid Tiger Mac, you'll hardly ever see him in my weekly drivel. What I DO write is usually just factual, but not the sycophantically orgasmic garbage you'd probably prefer people to bestow on him. Iconically great golfer that he has been.

Meanwhile you try to score cheap points with a young bloke just trying to make his way in the game. I expect you enjoy it.