Ross has to show us the Ryder Cup money

Modern sport is an odd mix of emotion and commerce. Golf is a popular sport in Ireland, but it is far from a universally supported game like, say, football or Gaelic football or, increasingly, rugby.

And yet, last week’s British Open, in which Offaly golfer Shane Lowry emerged victorious, prompted a national outpouring of goodwill for the well-liked underdog – washing away a good deal of the misgivings many people have about the ...