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Irish Daily Star
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
Northern Ireland's 5 greatest athletes after Rory McIlroy's Masters win
35-year-old Rory McIlroy not only solidified his place in golfing lore last week by winning the Masters to capture the career grand slam, but also certainly his status as the best Northern Irish athlete of all time. McIlroy was one of the most famous junior golfers in recent memory when he broke through as a teenager and had already captured three of the four major championships by the age of 25. His playoff victory over Justin Ros e allowed McIlroy to take some much-needed time off, as he was absent from last weekend's RBC Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina: his legacy is now cemented. Who joins the former wunderkid as the greatest Northern Irish athlete of all time? Read More Related Articles Donald Trump comes up with ludicrous way to look taller next to Ohio State football team Read More Related Articles Rory McIlroy's wife Erica Stoll eyes huge life decision after Masters win due to awkward reason 2. George Best (Soccer/Football) Best was capped only 37 times for the Northern Irish national team and never featured in the World Cup. On pure talent alone, however, he's one of the greatest footballers ever out of the United Kingdom. Best scored 181 goals for Manchester United from 1963-1974, winning the Ballon d'Or in 1968 along the way. He helped the Red Devils win a pair of First Division titles and scored three times in United's journey to win its first European Cup in 1968. 3. Mary Peters (Pentathlon) Born in Liverpool in 1939, Lady Mary Peters moved to Belfast at the age of 11. She represented Northern Ireland at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and captured the gold medal in the pentathlon. George Best was one of Manchester United's greatest ever players (Image: Getty Images) At the time, Peters was working as a secretary. Suddenly, she was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and was awarded an MBE a year later. 4. Pat Jennings (Soccer/Football) Jennings is a rare breed: a man known for his sporting success with both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. The Newry-native broke through with Watford before securing a move to Tottenham in 1964. The goalkeeper helped Spurs capture the UEFA Cup in 1972 before joining the Gunners in 1977. Read More Related Articles Justin Thomas made honest admission to new caddie before ending 18-month winless streak Read More Related Articles Phil Mickelson's '£750m offer' to PGA Tour, 'greedy' accusation, Tiger Woods dinner snub Jennings was a one-time FWA Footballer of the Year and one-time PFA Players' Player of the Year (separate years) as well as a member of the 1973 World XI. He earned 119 caps for Northern Ireland and represented his country at both the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. 5. Daniel Wiffen (Swimming) The youngest entrant on this list, the 23-year-old Wiffen is the most recent winner of the BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year honor. What'd he achieve? Wiffen captured gold in the 800m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics (and a bronze in the 1500m). He adds these medals to his two goals from the 2024 World Championships in Doha.
Irish Daily Star
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Star
Justin Thomas made honest admission to new caddie before ending 18-month winless streak
Justin Thomas had to make a quick switch in caddies due to his regular bagman Matt 'Rev' Minister suffering a back injury, bringing Joe Greiner on board just before the Masters kicked off last weekend. Greiner, who parted ways with his good pal Max Homa before the tournament following a run of poor form, found himself in the winner's circle with Thomas at the RBC Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This victory marked Thomas's first since the 2022 PGA Championship, and it came in only their second event together. After nailing a crucial putt to edge out Andrew Novak in a playoff hole, Thomas didn't hesitate to praise his new caddy. "I said to Joe coming up to 18, 'I've never made a putt to win a tournament before like of this length,'" he shared. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump comes up with ludicrous way to look taller next to Ohio State football team Read More Related Articles Rory McIlroy's wife Erica Stoll eyes huge life decision after Masters win due to awkward reason "Been fortunate to have a lot of tap-ins but I've never made a putt and that was pretty cool. That was as fun as I thought it would be." Thomas's path to victory wasn't smooth sailing: he matched a course record with a 61 on Thursday, but subsequent rounds of 69 on both Friday and Saturday allowed competitors to close the gap. His situation wasn't helped when he incurred a one-stroke penalty on Saturday for moving the ball prematurely, despite consulting an official for clarification. Maybe the secret to his Sunday success was his new caddie. Thomas didn't hold back in expressing his admiration for Greiner, telling journalists: "It's great. We've had a lot of fun. I think we -- it's hard because it's -- I always -- have always thought caddies are in a tough spot already and kind of like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation, let alone when it's the second week he's ever caddied for me. Greiner was previously working with Max Homa (Image: Getty Images) "He knows I'm playing well, and he knows that I feel the same way. So he's wanting to help but also trying to not over caddie, and it's tough. But he's doing a great job. It's more fun than anything just because he's got a great personality and sense of humor where I can make fun of him." Homa and Greiner bagged six PGA Tour titles during their decade-long partnership, but Greiner chose to part ways with his close friend before the Masters. "Joe and I made memories for a lifetime and can't be more thankful for all the hard work. We have parted ways and it will be sad to see him go," Homa stated. Now, Homa is on a mission to break his victory drought. The 34 year old golfer hasn't tasted victory on the PGA Tour since his win at the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2023, and he even dropped to No. 81 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) earlier this year. Currently, he sits at No. 69 in the rankings.
