Mulryan loses clubs

By Brian Keogh

Things can't get much worse for Athenry's Michael Mulryan after his clubs were stolen from his car..

Just 48 hours after being rapped over the knuckles by the R&A for not turning up for his second Open qualifying round, the Galwayman signed for an 80 at The European Club to finish on 15 over par in the Irish PGA.

But he had to do it with borrowed clubs and a cut hand after his own equipment disappeared from his car, which was parked on Foley Street in Dublin's city centre, on Wednesday night.

Having taken his woods off the back seat and put them in the boot "as a precaution", he found the police on his dootstep just half and hour later.

"They had found my girlfriend's address in the glove box and said my car had been broken into and my golf clubs had been taken," the 22-year-old explained.

Witnesses spotted the culprits sprinting down the road with Mulryan's personalised Titleist tour bag.

"I played terrible today as well," he said. "I cut my thumb cleaning up the glass in the car. I borrowed by playing partner's caddie's woods and wedges and Philip Walton's caddie's irons and putter. It didn't help me much."

Mulryan reckons he lost around €2,000 worth of equipment which included Callaway irons and wedges, a Titleist driver, a TaylorMade three-wood and a Titleist Tour bag with his name on it.

"There were two dozen ProVs in it as well, which is another couple of hundred quid," he remembered. "Gloves as well. It all adds us.

"There was also my waterproofs and my caddie's waterproofs which is another €500."

The R&A have sent Mulryan a letter asking why he failed to turn up at Montrose on Tuesday for the second round of the Open qualifier.

He had opened with a 75, but explained: "There was a personal issue at home and I wasn't up to playing. I forgot to ring them and I will send them a letter explaining why I didn't turn up."