Donegal can win back-to-back – Brolly

Michael Murphy, Donegal, in action against John Cooper, Dublin. Allianz Football League

THE OBSERVER’S renowned golf writer Peter Dobereiner, who died in 1997, once wrote, “Ever since the beheading of the first woman golfer, Mary Queen of Scots, the golf world has openly regretted that the practice didn’t start a trend.”

At Augusta National’s clubhouse, they would have chuckled at that one. It is the most powerful private club in the world. Their 300 members are richer than most countries.

They include Bill Gates, since 1995, the world’s overall wealthiest man, Warren Buffet, the second wealthiest, and assorted other billionaire power brokers from the worlds of oil, electrical energy, finance and arms.

Their blanket ban on women members is again hitting the headlines in the US after Barack Obama politely suggested last week that the policy ought to be reviewed. This is the same club where until 1983, all caddies had to be black and were dressed in white jump-suits with green caps.

It wasn’t until 1990 that they allowed the first black player to set foot on the course. The possibility that they will follow the advice of the first Black president of America is – pardon the pun – a long shot.

Women, with or without their heads, will have to find another club. On course, it was a bad weekend for the Irish, including Rory McIlroy.

Closer to home, our own favourite men-only club will soon be embarking on its annual tournament, when in just over a month’s time, the Ulster championship begins.

At least it used to be a manly game, before the new refereeing orthodoxy outlawed 50 50 challenges, shoulder tackles, hand tackles, block-downs and all the other things that used to set the pulse racing.

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published Thursday April 12. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent, or online by clicking the subscribe button on this page