Rory McIlroy debate awakens ghosts of divided Ireland
World No 2 is forced to navigate the powerful currents of history - and public opinion - in decision over his identity
The posters on the grounds of Carton House showed Rory McIlroy swinging a club with the words, "Will Irish Eyes Be Smiling?" Fans from all over the island, divided by political loyalties but until recently united in their reverence for McIlroy, flocked here last month to catch a glimpse of him at the Irish Open, his last competitive tune-up before this week's British Open at Muirfield. What they saw gave them pause.
McIlroy's confidence appeared as fragile as crystal stemware, and there were signs that success had changed him, starting with his reserved parking placard. It was posted a few paces from the Carton House hotel entrance, considerably closer than the spaces set aside for defending champion Jamie Donaldson, and major winners Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington.
Central to McIlroy's broad appeal are his humble roots in Holywood, a town outside Belfast, and his affable nature. But since becoming the second Irish golfer, after Harrington, to win multiple majors, McIlroy, 24, has distanced himself from his roots. He relocated to Florida and changed his equipment and his Dublin-based management team, both instrumental in his rise to No 1 in March 2012.
Those moves have many in Ireland questioning his loyalties, a discomfiting state of affairs for McIlroy, who cares what people think of him and strives to be a winning - and winsome - entertainer. During the crest of his success last season, McIlroy caused tremors along the political fault line through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by saying he had always felt more British than Irish. He had previously tiptoed around that subject to avoid upsetting either side.
It is a knotty situation for McIlroy, a homegrown hero turned global star. He is from Northern Ireland, which shares a border with Ireland, a House of Lords with Britain and a culture with both. The trap on this path could also ensnare new Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, a Scotsman who won a gold medal for Britain at the London Games because his homeland does not field an Olympic team. A movement in Scotland to gain independence from Britain, if successful, might make Murray the McIlroy of tennis.
McIlroy realises there is no diplomatic answer, no compromise other than sitting out the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, when golf returns to the Olympic programme.