“Golf is very different when it comes to this Olympics. I know we’ll be coming in for criticism for not playing but, at the end of the day, the profile of golfers is older than the rest of the athletes. There are a lot of golfers who are married with young families, kids on the way, whereas 99.9% of athletes in the Olympics are single people…. These guys [Shane Lowry, Rory McElroy etc.], two of them are just married. Graham has got another baby on the way, they have other priorities…. It’s a completely different age profile.

[In response to a slagging from Katie Taylor]..Katie Taylor’s not married, she’s not thinking of having a child in the next couple of months. The three golfers from Ireland that pulled out – two of them  are recently married, and one has got a baby on the way”

Padraig Harrington in conversation with Matt Cooper, Today FM

Take the Quiz!

1. What does the above paragraph refer to?

a) The inexplicable outbreak of morning sickness among Irish male golfers

b) The decision of members of Team Ireland to withdraw from the Rio Olympics

c) The rumoured deflection from the discovery that Graham McDowell is actually an American called Todd Saunders masquerading as an Irishman who has been disqualified from the team

2. What is a ‘baby’?

a) A bogie and a birdie that happens simultaneously

b) An identity crisis

c) A corporate sponsorship contract

3. When did golf last feature in the Olympics?

a) 1904

b) 1984

c) We’re still waiting for the last players to finish up

4. Which year were the comments made?

a) 1905

b) 1904

c) 1906

5. What are babies born to unmarried female athletes commonly known as?

a) Non-legally binding sponsorship contracts

b) Fair game

c) The spit of Wayne Rooney

6. Complete the following saying: First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes:

a) A joint twitter account

b) A v-neck jumper

c) Membership of the Iona Institute

7. Which Olympics has Katie Taylor declared she will go from amateur broody to professional broody:

a) 2020

b) 1904

c) 2024

8. Name the odd one out:

a) Graham McDowell

b) Michael Flatley

c) A Cad(dy)

Answers:

1.(c); 2.(a); 3.(c); 4. (b) 5. (b) 6. (c); 7. (b); 8. (c)

Graham McDowell in training for the Irish Open