Philip Reid

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Philip Reid

Rory McIlroy is getting some use out of the green jacket that he added to his wardrobe on winning the Masters tournament at Augusta National, where he also became the sixth player in golfing history to complete the career Grand Slam. Appearing on Jimmy Fallon‘s The Tonight Show on American television channel NBC, the Northern Irishman revealed that among those who reached out to him on achieving the feat was singer Elton John. “I didn’t even know he knew what golf was,” joked McIlroy.

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Philip Reid

Leona Maguire still has that pioneering spirit, a hunger and belief that the best has yet to come: in a trailblazing career that so far has seen the 30-year-old Cavan player become the first Irish woman to win on the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour and play Solheim Cup, there remain boxes to be ticked, targets to achieve.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Philip Reid

Tom McKibbin has yet to taste individual success since moving to LIV Golf but the 22-year-old Northern Irishman is banking plenty of greenbacks as part of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team. While Joaquin Niemann again won the individual tournament in LIV Mexico over the weekend (pocketing another $4 million for the win), McKibbin was also in the money after Legion XIII won the team competition for a second time since his arrival.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Philip Reid

Zurich Classic of New OrleansPurse: €8.05m/$9.2m (€1.15m/$1.329m each to the winning pair)Where: New Orleans, Louisiana, USAThe course: TPC Louisiana – 7,425 yards, Par 72 – is a Pete Dye design with input from former tour player Steve Elkington and Kelly Gibson. The course, which opened for play in 2004, is a public facility located in over 250 acres of wetlands along the Mississippi river and features in excess of 100 bunkers and five water hazards.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Philip Reid

Two-time Major champion Xander Schauffele has identified Rory McIlroy’s career Grand Slam achievement as being a “pretty scary thing” for his rivals. Schauffele – who defends his US PGA title at Quail Hollow next month and The Open at Royal Portrush in July – believes the Northern Irishman has the potential to freewheel into future Majors without any of the mental scars or pressure that had accompanied his efforts for more than a decade. “It’s incredible for the game of golf.