The Loop

Missing Links: Martin Kaymer's 'bad timing' in Germany, and Rory McIlroy changes his mind on Olympics

June 18, 2014

Stories of interest you might have missed…

Rory McIlroy has declared he'll represent Ireland rather than Britain in the Olympic Games in 2016. Here is Chris Cutmore's story in the Daily Mail. This is a reversal from two years ago, when he said in this story by Derek Lawrenson of the Daily Mail that he would represent Great Britain.

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(Getty Images photo)

Martin Kaymer's resounding victory in the U.S. Open was "bad timing," in Germany, where it largely went unnoticed as a result of Germany's World Cup victory and other news. Reuters has the story.

Kaymer's victory did not go unnoticed by European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, of course. McGinley "had a sense US Open champion Martin Kaymer was on the verge of producing something special and believes the 'low maintenance' German will make an ideal team member at Gleneagles," Phil Casey of the Press Association writes.

Seven years ago, Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel, theirs ages ranging from 12 to 19, played in the U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles, a few miles east of Pinehurst. Only one (Thompson) is still a teenager, but all are potential factors in the Women's Open at Pinehurst this week. Stephen Schramm of the Fayetteville Observer has the story.

Oliver Goss, an Australian who finished runner-up in the U.S. Amateur last year and missed the cut in the U.S. Open last week, will make his professional debut Thursday in the Travelers Championship. The Hartford Courant has the story.