Brian Keogh: PGA preview – Masterful Rory McIlroy the man to beat at Quail Hollow
Masters winner is more dangerous than ever after realising his dream of a career Grand Slam
Who dares often wins at risk-reward Quail Hollow, but after receiving close to six inches of rainfall over the past 10 days, it's more likely that the Bomber Command will have too much firepower for the SAS (short-and-straight) brigade in the 107th PGA Championship.
A par-71 course measuring 7,626 yards would not usually frighten the best players in the world, but so soft are the fairways in this well-heeled corner of Charlotte that it's hard to see players who don't blast the ball 300 yards through the air having much chance of being a factor on Sunday evening.
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The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Bryson DeChambeau brands Royal Portrush ‘diabolical' ahead of 2025 Open Championship at Antrim course
TWO-TIME major champion Bryson DeChambeau has branded Royal Portrush as 'diabolical' ahead of The Open Championship. 2 Bryson DeChambeau has branded Portrush a 'diabolical' test ahead of the 2025 Open 2 Bryson in action during the 2019 Open at the Antrim course And DeChambeau has described the Antrim venue as 'diabolical' as he prepares to return to the venue for the first time since the 2019 He'll be aiming to add a third title to his trophy cabinet, DeChambeau has posted top-five finishes at both the Masters and PGA Championship in 2025 but missed the cut at last month's U.S. Open. DeChambeau admitted he was frustrated not to have secured a major win this season. He said: 'I'd say disappointed that I haven't won one yet. read more on golf 'I've got to fine-tune my game and focus on executing my shots the way I know I can on the golf course. I haven't been doing that recently. "A little bit more due diligence on my side of the coin. Not taking things for granted and focusing on what I can do to give myself the best chance to win at The Open. "Probably being a little more strategic that week.' The last time The Open was held at Most read in Golf Asked if he had played Portrush before, he replied: 'I played it last time around when Shane won. Pressed on his memory of the course, DeChambeau added: 'Yeah, it can be diabolical. Driver is key on that golf course in wind conditions, in side wind conditions. Brooks Koepka suffers meltdown and smashes tee marker into fans before withdrawing from LIV Dallas claiming 'illness' "It's going to be a tough test.' The 153rd Open gets itself gets underway at Royal Portrush, 17–20 July 2025.
The 42
16 hours ago
- The 42
'It's a bit like an electric shock going through you' - Meet the only Irishman at Wimbledon
THE MEN'S AND women's draws at Wimbledon will again be untroubled by Irish players this year, but that's not to say the iconic tournament is entirely free of Irish influence. Fergus Murphy is one of just seven chair umpires given that, er, elevated status by the ATP, and has been in the high chair at Grand Slam events since 1995. In that time he has overseen the 2023 Wimbledon men's final and has had several tempestuous run-ins with some of the greats of the game. Novak Djokovic questions Fergus Murphy during the 2023 men's Wimbledon final, won by Carlos Alcaraz. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Slams, though, are extracurricular events, as they are not run by the ATP. Throw in the Davis and Laver Cups and Murphy spends around eight months a year on the road, and away from his Dublin home. 'I still remember it like it was yesterday', Murphy tells The 42. 'When I started, one lady said to me, 'Oh, is that a job?' So that was a complete putdown.' It certainly is a job, and Murphy, now 54, has been doing it for more than 30 years. He describes him as an 'okay player' in his youth, and the sport's gravitational pull drew him into the Irish umpires' association, which he joined in the late 1980s. He officiated open events at the likes of Carrickmines, Donnybrook, and Lansdowne, along with Davis Cup ties. He noticed colleagues travelling to England each summer to work at Queen's and Wimbledon, and eventually followed their path too, after a few initial rejections. Officials' performances were constantly evaluated, and so one's record eventually speaks for itself. Murphy had started a law degree by the time his made noise among the right people, and he decided to put his studies on brief pause to commit full-time to umpiring. 'I said I'll do it for a year,' says Murphy, 'and then it became 30.' He is speaking to me from his hotel in Stuttgart, where he is officiating an ATP event ahead of Wimbledon. Murphy's lifestyle is analogous to the elite players: whereas the lower-ranked players are chasing ranking points wherever they can be found, the best generally follow a familiar circuit. Hence, says Murphy, he is constantly on the road, but constantly returning to the same places. 'It's like going home every week,' he says, 'but to a different type of home.' 'If you want a 9 to 5 and and sleep in your own bed every night, this isn't for you,' he says. 'But it's nice to go back to places. You nearly always know the staff that are there, there's obviously your co-workers that you know, and you get to know the cities pretty well.' And just as camaraderie is the luxury of the elite players on tour, Murphy's exclusive band of chair umpires often find themselves travelling together, which makes for a dinner gathering that can pass the time but also provide a measure of emotional support. 'In terms of longevity, it helps to just look after yourself if you're having a tough time, and talk to other colleagues about it,' he says. 'Maybe don't overemphasise something, like, if there's a small error that you make, don't blow it out of proportion into a big thing. Everybody makes mistakes. Advertisement 'If you have a good group of people around you, especially when you're traveling, you can say, 'This happened to me today', and then someone will say, 'Oh, that happened to me last week', and you just feel like you're not the only one. But I think the nature of the job is where we're always driven for the 100%.' Murphy still gets a rush of adrenaline a couple of hours before every match, which he says helps focus the mind and ward off arguably the job's biggest challenge: keeping concentration. 'Most of the time,' he says, 'nothing happens.' So while there can be hours in which nothing happens, there can be seconds in which everything happens. Tennis matches can be stressful, tempestuous worlds, and those at its core usually like to reserve their lashings for those in near-orbit. A condition of our interview is that Murphy would not talk about individual players, but he has had several high-profile run-ins with some of the sport's biggest stars. At the Madrid Open, for instance, Murphy courted the scorn of Rafa Nadal and the jeers of a partisan crowd when he denied the Spaniard a challenge, saying his gesture was not sufficiently clear. An affronted Nadal called for the court supervisor. Stefanos Tsitsipas last year went on strike mid-match in response to a time violation handed down by Murphy, saying he would not budge until the court supervisor arrived. 'You have never played tennis in your life, you have no clue about tennis it seems, you are probably playing serve and volley every single time,' ranted Tsitsipas. 'Tennis is a physical sport and we need some time over here, you have to show some compassion. We are not throwing darts out here.' Nick Kyrgios – an equal-opportunity scorner of officials – has had a couple of ugly episodes with Murphy, and in 2019 called him 'a potato with legs and arms' and 'the worst ref in the game.' The ATP fined Kyrgios $113,000. 'I'm human just like everybody else,' says Murphy on the general issue of player abuse, though not in specific reference to any of the above. 'I don't think anybody likes being the target of something. Unfortunately for us, that is part of our job. We're the one making the decisions and most of the time when you make a decision, 50% of your clients won't be happy. 'Sometimes they accept it. But when the temperature rises, I think you have to look at it in a kind of a matter of fact way, that it's part of the job. But it does affect you. You have to learn to just push it to the side and really not see it as a personal attack. Quite often, you know, you'll see the player later that day in the hotel.' Among Kyrgios' rants at other officials includes a warning to Carlos Bernardes of his imminent obsolesence. 'It's all electronically done now, so you're actually doing nothing apart from calling the score, by the way, which any tennis fan could do right now,' raved Kyrgios, 'Sit in the chair and just say, 15-Love, Game Kyrgios, Game Sinner. Do you know what I mean? Like that's really all he has to do.' The reality is the chair umpire does a lot more than that, and the advance in technology has not automatically brought an end to players' venting their fury at officials. While line calls have become automised and less contentious, the umpire is still in charge of enforcing rules around challenges, a shot clock, and sportsmanlike behaviour. The policing of these, along with the need to manage players' tantrums, shows the job remains an art as much as a science. Technology continues to encroach, however, and this edition of Wimbledon will be the first in its 147-year history to proceed without line judges, with all of the calls now ruled by technology. It also means players' won't need to call for challenges anymore: everything has been automated. 'The obvious plus about the technology is the accuracy,' says Murphy. 'It's extremely accurate. It's very reliable and it doesn't get tired. 'The accuracy of the system is very important. What you might lose is more of the ups and downs in a game, because when you have more human involvement, there's bound to be a mistake, or a perceived mistake. Then the player would challenge it, and we'd show it on the board. 'That was a bit exciting for the crowd, the whole moment of 'I thought it was in, I thought it was out.' So that was good for showbiz. 'I would say now that things are more on an even keel because the system is reliable, accurate, and then you can maybe focus more on the tennis. So it just depends on your point of view. Sometimes the ups and downs of tennis are what make it exciting.' Across his long career, Murphy has seen the beginning, middle, and ends of some of the greatest careers in the sport's history, and can appreciate the quality of tennis to which the crowd has been treated. 'Sitting there in the middle of it and seeing shot after shot – some that you've never seen before at that level – plus you throw in the crowd and the atmosphere, it's hard to describe, but it goes right through you,' he says, 'It's a bit like an electric shock going through you when you're in the chair. We don't stand up and cheer and let off fireworks after a good shot, as you are in the middle of it and you are working. Maybe at the earlier stages of my career, I might have been a bit more nervous and a bit more focused on getting the basics right. 'But like anything, if you practice it, then they become a little bit more automatic, which means you have to give less of your brain power to do it because you just do it automatically, or you might see things around the court and stop problems before they happen. 'Having seen so many matches, we know that was a good shot, or you don't see that very often. 'It's a great seat.'
The 42
16 hours ago
- The 42
'It's like little Ireland here in Sydney, Irish accents everywhere'
THE BEAUTIFUL BEACHSIDE suburb of Coogee in Sydney is where Mike Catt now calls home. With its glorious sunshine, white sand beach, and crystal-clear waters, it might seem like a world away, but Catt is happy that there are many reminders of Dublin even in Coogee. Having spent five enjoyable, successful seasons working as an assistant coach with Andy Farrell's Ireland, Catt enjoys hearing from the many Irish expats around the place. 'It's like little Ireland here, Irish accents everywhere,' he says. Catt is now attack coach for the Waratahs, who face Farrell's Lions in Sydney next Saturday. There are many familiar faces in the Lions' ranks. Farrell has four of his Ireland assistants with him, a host of backroom staff, and 16 Irish players. Catt is looking forward to catching up. He shares great memories with them, including their 2023 Grand Slam, 2024 Six Nations title, and 2022 series success in New Zealand. Catt still has a strong sense of 'what if' about the 2023 World Cup. He speaks fondly about Irish rugby and is a huge admirer of Farrell's leadership, so it was difficult for Catt to walk away from the Ireland set-up last summer following the tour to his native South Africa. But family came first. His son, Ellis, was with him in Ireland and loved playing rugby in Blackrock College but Catt's two daughters, Evie and Erin, were in the UK and his wife, Ali, was over and back non-stop. 'I was just like, 'What am I doing?'' says Catt. 'I needed to spend time with my family. I wanted us all to be together. 'I asked Faz if I would be able to commute and he said no. Fair play, from day one he said he wanted me to be in Ireland and he stuck by that. And I had the most amazing time there.' So Catt started to look for his next job. Australian coach Dan McKellar was in charge of Leicester and gave Catt a shout. When McKellar then had to move on from Tigers at the end of the 2023/24 season, he got the top job back at home with the Waratahs. He called Catt again and landed his man on a three-year deal. The Catt family after Ireland's 2024 Six Nations triumph. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Catt wanted to get back into club rugby for the first time in over a decade because of the day-to-day coaching aspect, yet Super Rugby having a relatively short season was appealing, as was the chance to work in a different part of the world. Ali's father lives in Brisbane and they have friends elsewhere on the east coast. So far, only Catt and 14-year-old Ellis have made the full-time move over, setting up a 'little man cave,' but the girls are due to follow in a month, with important studies completed in the UK. Five years with Ireland have left an imprint on Catt. He lists off Farrell, Paul O'Connell, Simon Easterby, David Nucifora, Johnny Sexton, Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Beirne, and Tadhg Furlong as examples of the 'calibre of people' he worked with. 'It was just their want to be successful,' says Catt. 'It's just incredible how good Irish rugby is with the limited number of players there. It's unbelievable how successful they are. I don't think people appreciate that at all. 'Irish people are amazing people, that work ethic across the board. One of the biggest things is that there were no egos in Ireland team. 'You know, you just wish that… the Grand Slam wasn't enough, you know, we needed something bigger than that and unfortunately the cards don't fall like that. That's sport, but what I've learned out of that was unbelievable.' Catt joined Ireland after four years with Italy and worked closely with Farrell on the attack, which suffered from teething issues in the first year but gradually became world-leading and was mimicked by other teams. Advertisement 'We got that understanding into the players and they started to be curious enough for it to happen,' says Catt. 'We coached the decision-making. It did look like we were very structured and yes, we were but the decision-making and the coaching of that and the calmness that you do it in, that was where I think we took the game to another level.' Upskilling the Irish tight five forwards was key to Ireland's plans to cut teams apart with their phase-play attack, with Farrell and Catt taking inspiration from the highly-skilled All Blacks team that won the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. Catt in South Africa with Ireland last summer. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Making Irish players fitter than anyone was another important measure, while Sexton was highly influential in creating that brilliant Irish attack. But Catt underlines that Farrell is the brains and heart of everything good Ireland have done in recent years. The first thing he highlights is Farrell's exceptional technical and tactical knowledge of the game, something Catt finds even more impressive given Farrell's rugby league background. The Ireland and Lions boss is a huge student of union and Catt says Farrell can discuss the angle of props' elbows in scrums with as much knowledge as he can attack shape or defence systems. Secondly, there is Farrell's searing honesty and ability to give players precise and consistent messages. Catt's record as a player was remarkable. He won the 1999 World Cup in England, two Grand Slams, three other Five/Six Nations titles, toured with the Lions twice, and was part of a Bath team that won the Heineken Cup and three Premierships. His coaching career has included roles with London Irish, England [working alongside Farrell], Italy, Ireland, and now the Waratahs. So he's a good judge of authenticity. 'I've worked with so many head coaches in the past that, as a player, you look at him and you go, 'Yeah, that's just bullshit,'' says Catt. 'You know they're just saying it for the sake of saying it. 'Whereas Faz has the knack of just being totally genuine, and what he says is so relevant in that moment.' And for all the talk of the happy camps Farrell creates, Catt says there is never any confusion around the main goal of his teams. 'We had such fun. Faz loves a drink, he loves a song on the guitar, he loves the social, but it's about winning. 'If you can get the balance right, great, but it's not about good environments and stuff. It's about winning. This Lions tour is about winning.' Catt and the Waratahs hope to put a spanner in the Lions' works on Saturday. His first season with the Sydney side has been enjoyable and challenging. They started the campaign brightly but faded away and finished with six wins from 14 games, missing out on the play-offs. Catt with Andy Farrell. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The last few years have been fairly tumultuous for the Tahs and they are in the process of a rebuild in their squad and staff, all while playing in the 'pretty brutal competition' that is Super Rugby Pacific. Catt loves working hands-on with players every day, so different to the on-off nature of international coaching windows. One of the biggest differences he has seen between Irish players and their Aussie counterparts is how obsessed they are with rugby. He recounts how many Irish players would watch Super Rugby, Top 14, and anything else they could in their spare time. There are a few union nerds in the Waratahs squad too, but many others tune into rugby league, Aussie rules, and other sports when they're away from the club's training base. Catt explains that there are lots of Australian players who struggle with kicking technique and strategy because they simply don't kick the ball much when they're growing up. The good weather lends itself to keeping the ball in hand, which can cause issues down the line when Aussie teams clash with tactically astute Kiwi sides in Super Rugby or step up into the kick-heavy international game. The competition for eyeballs in Australian sport is intense and the reality is that rugby union is well down the pecking order. There are nine NRL clubs in Sydney, two AFL sides, as well as football, cricket, basketball, and netball teams. Catt says that you wouldn't know the Lions were coming to town apart from the odd banner here and there. 'If you're not winning, you don't get a sniff. We had a really good start to the season and then there were 20,000 people turning up and there was a real buzz about it but it drops very quickly when you lose because of what you're competing against. 'This is why I think Australia needs to have a good Lions tour. World rugby needs the Wallabies to be successful. Same with the Waratahs, we need to start winning for us to get bums on seats and inspire kids at a younger age to start loving the game again.' Catt explains how he went to watch his son play in the New South Wales U14 state championships a few weeks ago and was blown away. 'I couldn't believe what I was watching, the talent was phenomenal and you had 115kg kids who are 14,' says Catt. 'The athleticism and skillset was mind-blowing and the question was, 'Where do they all go?' A lot of them get snapped up by the NRL because they're promised the financial reward is much earlier than in union. That's just where we're at and changing that is exceptionally hard. So the Wallabies have to be successful, the Waratahs have to start winning for us to change that momentum.' Catt is enjoying his new challenge Down Under. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Australian rugby did manage to get a young NRL star back across to union in time for this Lions series. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii didn't come cheap but he has adapted impressively so far, shining for the Wallabies last autumn and for the Tahs this year in Super Rugby. Suaalii has overcome a fractured jaw to return to fitness ahead of the Lions series and Catt says the Lions and the rest of the rugby world will have to watch out. 'He is gonna be exceptional,' says Catt. 'First and foremost, he's just an incredible athlete. Like freakishly, Israel Folau-type. He's 21 years old, he hasn't played a tonne of rugby union, but his professionalism is through the roof. 'He's going to have a few bumpy roads, just part of the journey, but he's come in and he's shown a lot of senior players, especially at the Waratahs, what it actually means to really want something. 'I think the next two to three years for Joseph Suaalii is very special. Australian rugby needs guys like Joseph Suaalii.' Suaalii mainly played at fullback for the Waratahs this year, although Catt reckons Joe Schmidt may use him at outside centre for the Wallabies. And he cites Waratahs wing Max Jorgensen, who is also in Schmidt's squad, as 'unbelievably good' as an athlete and in his feel for the game. Jorgensen is one to watch 'very, very closely,' according to Catt. While those stars are in Wallabies camp preparing for the Lions, the rest of the Waratahs are working hard for Saturday's huge occasion against Farrell's tourists. Catt was in Australia with the Lions as a player in 2001, so he knows exactly how special all of this will be. 'It's huge. It only comes around once every 12 years. So they're very, very fortunate to get this opportunity. And where we are as a squad, a lot of our guys are young, they're going to get an experience playing against the best. 'Not all of them will play for the Wallabies, so for them to do it in front of a packed-out stadium is huge. We haven't had that this year. It's a brilliant challenge.' The Waratahs will undoubtedly be exceptionally well-briefed about what to expect from an Andy Farrell team.
