Rory McIlroy called out as controversial Masters remark sparks backlash | Golf | Sport
Rory Mcllroy has been criticised (Image: Getty)
Golf star Rory McIlroy has provoked a backlash following an apparently dismissive comment about Irish cuisine while at the Masters. The Northern Irishman is pursuing back-to-back Masters titles in Augusta this weekend as he aims for a sixth Grand Slam.
The 36-year-old is in a dominant position going into Saturday’s play in Georgia. The defending champion holds a six-shot advantage after concluding his second round with four consecutive birdies, including a chip-in on the 17th. McIlroy enjoys a comfortable lead over Patrick Reed and Sam Burns in second place as he hunts further glory. However, the golfing icon has courted controversy after addressing the media at Tuesday’s Masters Champions Dinner.
The occasion is hosted by the victor of the previous year’s Masters tournament, and McIlroy made a comment about why he opted against featuring Irish food on the menu. He said: “People keep asking me, ‘Why didn’t you go more Irish?’ And I said, ‘Because I want to enjoy the dinner as well’.
That comment has drawn criticism from leading figures within modern Irish cuisine, including TV chef and food stylist Erica Drum, via the Irish Independent.
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She said: “He didn’t need to do that. We are famous across the world for our dairy produce, our cheese and our cream. Imagine if he’d done a full Irish cheese board. We are the envy of the world.
McIlroy has not won many fans in Ireland (Image: Getty)
“I feel like he just hasn’t experienced good food. If we’re to look at some of the producers in Northern Ireland alone, before we even go to southern Ireland, he could have brought in food from Broughgammon. They have the most incredible cured meat and fresh meat.”
Celebrity chef Derry Clarke also leapt to the defence of Ireland’s food industry following McIlroy’s contentious remarks.
He stated: “Irish beef, I mean, there’s no comparison. I would have put on Irish cheese… smoked salmon, the brilliant breads we make. Our soda bread is spectacular. We’re years ahead of anyone, pretty much. When we have a steak at home, we know it’s grass-fed. It hasn’t grown up in a pen in the middle of a desert.”
Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, also had some sage advice for the Masters leader – and extended an offer of redemption.
“I would have advised Rory to talk up Irish food as opposed to saying that people wouldn’t enjoy it,” he said.
“We have the best produce in the world in terms of farm-to-fork. It’s grass-fed, it’s environmentally sustainable and I think we undersell ourselves as a country in terms of food, quality of food and the food tourism agenda.
“We’re now going to get a new food tourism strategy for the country and I’m sure, when it’s ready, we’d love to have Rory over to launch it.”
McIlroy is paired with Sam Burns for Saturday’s action and is scheduled to tee off at 7:50pm BST. The golfing star disclosed on Friday that he plans to watch the Monte Carlo Masters tennis and the film Zootopia 2 with his daughter as a means of unwinding before he steps onto the course in Augusta.
He said: “That distraction is usually a good thing for me, especially with a late tee time and the lead. There are two really good semi-finals at Monte Carlo in the tennis. So I’ll watch those. We’ve been watching the tennis early in the mornings. And then hopefully spend some time with Poppy. I think we’re about halfway through Zootopia 2.”
