But McIlroy was not merely fighting for his birthplace. Augusta is the venue where he cried as a 21-year-old, where he had the Green Jacket in his grasp, only to let it go with that devastating final-round 80. In beating Justin Rose in that unforgettable play-off this year, he exorcised his own demons at the same time as smashing through the ceiling for an entire continent. He is the first European to complete the set and did so in perhaps the most pressurised environs imaginable in his chosen profession.
What exactly does Spoty expect from McIlroy? To invent the new penicillin? In truth, McIlroy should not be competing to be the “year’s best” UK sports professional, but the greatest of all time. It is actually insulting he has not won it before and the befuddlement and anger on the fairways that he is still waiting perfectly encapsulate the ancient game’s attitude to this annual jamboree.
Spoty is anti-golf and if the 2025 recipient is anyone else but the bar steward’s son from a Belfast suburb, it could be the straw poll that breaks the camel’s back. Everyone out. Spoty should be blackballed…
At the beginning, however, it seemed so promising. In 1957, Dai Rees was the fourth winner when the Welshman was recognised for his role as player-captain in inflicting just the second Ryder Cup defeat on Team USA. The Brits adored the plus-foured pastime. This was the first of many.
Well, how about one in the preceding 67 years? In this intervening period, the UK has hailed 30 major successes in the men’s and women’s game and six different players have become world No 1. There is not another global sport in which Great Britain and Ireland has punched so high and so mightily. The lack of Spoty recognition is nothing short of a national disgrace.
It has reached the stage where our major winners do not even figure on the shortlists. Catriona Matthew and Georgia Hall were both ignored after winning the Women’s Open in 2009 and 2018 respectively. In 2022, Matt Fitzpatrick was snubbed after winning the US Open.
Darren Clarke came second in 2006, but was beaten by Zara Phillips. Maybe that was not quite as ridiculous as Phillips’ mother seeing off George Best and Barry John into second and third in 1971, but it was close. Clarke finished runner-up again in 2011, that year’s Open champion being held off by Mark Cavendish. That gave golf hope.
And when McIlroy won two majors in 2014, it seemed assured. The gap to Sir Nick Faldo’s victory in 1989 – ludicrously, he did not even make the podium after winning both the Masters and Open in 1990 – was about to be breached. Alas, Lewis Hamilton showed up with his dog and that was that. McIlroy lost out to a cute pooch.
