McIlroy’s life imitates fiction

In blowing a four-stroke lead in the final round of this year's Masters, Rory McIlroy did a fair impression of Roy McAvoy, the fictional character portrayed by actor Kevin Costner in the film "Tin Cup" who blew up on the final hole of the U.S. Open.

Of course, McIlroy bounced back to win the U.S. Open, but on Thursday he again showed shades of McAvoy when he blasted a TV commentator for criticizing his course management during the first round of the Irish Open.

After blowing an early lead and double-bogeying the final hole after hitting into the water, McIlroy fired a shot to the Twitter account of American analyst and former European Tour player Jay Townsend.

"Shut up. You're a commentator and a failed golfer, your opinion means nothing!" wrote McIlroy, who drove into a bunker on the 18th hole before sending his next shot far left of the green into a pond.

Townsend, providing live TV coverage in Ireland, criticized McIlroy's approach before the ball hit the water.

"That's why you don't hit it in the bunker. Watch this," he said, pausing for the splash.

Townsend then took to Twitter to rip McIlroy's caddie since 2008, J.P. Fitzgerald, for overseeing "some of the worst course management I have ever seen beyond under 10's boys golf competition."

McIlroy, who has been praised for being mature beyond his 22 years, later told reporters he insulted Townsend in defense of his caddie, not himself.

In "Tin Cup," McAvoy also showed contempt for a commentator -- 1964 U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi -- as he prepared to shoot over a water hazard on the final hole of the event. "This is for Venturi, who thinks I should lay up," he told caddie Romeo Posar, who replied, "What does he know? He only won this tournament before you were born."

■ MAN FLU -- While McIlroy rallied Friday to make the cut for the Irish Open, Darren Clarke, his fellow major winner from Northern Ireland, missed it.

Clarke, 42, chalked up the failure to mental fatigue. But it was more likely the result of too many trips to the pub to celebrate his recent British Open victory, the first major win of his 20-year career.

Clarke conceded Thursday he spent much of last weekend in bed recuperating from his post-British Open partying.

"My self-inflicted man flu hasn't quite gotten that much better yet," he said.

■ STILL OCHOCINCO -- Chad Ochocinco, formerly Chad Johnson, changed his last name to match his uniform number in Cincinnati three years ago. Despite being traded by the Bengals to the Patriots, it appears Ochocinco won't have to change his name again.

Aaron Hernandez wore No. 85 for New England last season, but Ochocinco wore the number at Patriots practice Friday afternoon, while Hernandez sported shorts bearing No. 81.

Hernandez, a second-year tight end out of Florida, wore No. 81 for the Gators, but that number belonged to Randy Moss last season.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick probably would have preferred Ochocinco to change his name to Chad Callate, which translates to "Chad, Shut Up."

COMPILED BY TODD DEWEY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL