What next for Rory McIlroy? It might seem a bit on the early side to be asking that question, seeing as they’re probably still sweeping up champagne corks after Sunday, but Philip Reid reckons he will already have his eye on adding yet more majors to his roll of honour - starting with the three coming up between next month and July. Whatever happens, McIlroy can now lay claim to the title of the “greatest European player” of all time.
For Malachy Clerkin, the most striking aspect of McIlroy’s triumph was its “non-McIlroyness”. While all around him engaged in “disaster-flirting” in that final round, he was “the coolest man on the grounds” (well, apart from when he hit that drive on 18). In all, it was, says David Gorman, “an exercise in discipline”, one that showcased “his maturation into an all-round golfing great”.
In contrast, Shane Lowry’s trip to Augusta ended in bitter disappointment with that final round of 80, when he had gone in to it just two shots off the lead. He “cut a sorry figure at day’s end”, says Philip, but with a full schedule over the next three weeks, he needs to pick himself up pronto.
In football, Gavin Cummiskey previews a key World Cup qualifier for the Republic of Ireland’s women away to Poland this afternoon. After losing their opening games to France and the Netherlands, Carla Ward’s crew are badly in need of a point or three against a Polish side, featuring Barcelona goal machine Ewa Pajor, that began its campaign with a draw against the Dutch.
In rugby, the cream rose to the top in last weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-finals, writes Gerry Thornley. Toulon are up next for Leinster who remain “the main obstacle to French dominance” in the competition.
Owen Doyle reflects on the standard of officiating in the quarter-finals, Christophe Ridley’s Marcel Marceau-esque miming in the Montpellier v Connacht game prompting him to suspend his fan-club subscription for the French referee.
In Gaelic games, our esteemed bunch of scribblers team up to bring you ‘What we learned from the GAA weekend’, their round-up featuring Armagh’s super subs, a custody battle for Cork hurler Barry Walsh, Wicklow’s footballers landing punches and Leitrim coming back from the cold in Connacht.
In racing, Brian O’Connor looks ahead to Saturday’s Scottish Grand National when a potential five contenders will attempt to make it a three-in-a-row for Ireland. And in a fortnight’s time, the Irish National Hunt season will come to “a glittering climax” at the Punchestown festival, last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Gaelic Warrior leading Willie Mullins’ star-studded team.
TV Watch: The Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Poland in Gdansk kicks off at 5pm this afternoon (RTÉ 2), and at 8pm Liverpool and Barcelona both need to overturn 2-0 first leg defeats if they are to make it through to the Champions League semi-finals - it’s Liverpool v PSG (Premier Sports 1 & Amazon Prime) and Atletico Madrid v Barcelona (Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports).
