WATCH: Sir AP McCoy hails 'global superstar' Rory McIlroy after playing in Irish Open Pro-Am at Royal County Down alongside Jimmy Nesbitt and Tommy Bowe
The action is officially underway at Royal County Down with a star-studded field taking to the picturesque course to kick-off Irish Open proceedings in Wednesday’s Pro-Am.
From sporting sensations such as Sir AP McCoy, Tommy Bowe and Rory Best to the likes of Westlife’s Shane Filan and actor Jimmy Nesbitt, local golf fans were kept entertained as the amateurs – guided by professionals including home favourite Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Tom McKibbin, made their way around the glorious setting, which was recently voted the world’s best by Golf Digest.
Thousands will flock to Newcastle over the coming days with the tournament getting underway on Thursday before a champion is crowned on Sunday – the eventual winner will have to contend with the elements as periods of sunshine are likely to be accompanied by rain showers – and the dreaded wind.
McCoy proved his quality playing with former Ireland rugby international Bowe and Nesbitt – the trio, alongside professionals Dan Bradbury and Ryo Hisatsune, shot -18 to finish in seventh.
The 50-year-old is one of Northern Ireland’s greatest sportsmen, knighted in January 2016 after recording 31 victories at Cheltenham Festival while he also won the Grand National in 2010 on Don’t Push It.
He’s in a unique position to understand the pressures faced by McIlroy, who will look to win his second Irish Open title this week on home soil.
"He’s amazing,” McCoy told the Belfast News Letter. “We’re very lucky that we all go through stages as kids when we look up to athletes...I queued up outside a sports shop to get Pat Jennings to sign a football for me when I was a kid.
"You had Barry McGuigan, Dennis Taylor, Alex Higgins – the amount of really good sportspeople we have and Rory is a global superstar. At 35, you can only but admire him.
"If somebody had said to him when he was 12 or 13 that he’d be playing golf with Tiger Woods and be best friends with him...it’s amazing how sport can bring you together and help you live the dream.”