Rory McIlroy en route to his first “major” title - the 2005 Irish Amateur Close Championship at WestportWhen Graeme McDowell was asked at Congressional what they put in the water in Ireland to produce so many major champions in such a short space of time, he pointed to a tall figure emerging from the clubhouse.

In a move that’s sure to spark debate in golf clubs all around Ireland about the integrity of the game, the Annual General Meeting of the Golfing Union of Ireland has approved the use of distance-measuring devices for all competitions including its championships.