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Nice guy, very good player but a bottle-job. Has not got the minerals to win a major, some people have and some have not.

He will always win tournaments on the tour but holding out on the back 9 of a major...no chance.

Would love to be proved wrong but it wont happen

Another excellent and interesting blog from Mr Dirs, which if written by a tabloid journo, would feature a lot more hype. In fact, it wouldn't be written. Because it isn't about Tiger Woods. Wish i could see more of the same from other more prominent ´óÏó´«Ã½ bloggers.

Good article but could ´óÏó´«Ã½ writers please stop referring to Irish golfers as "Brits". You would not reffer to any of our Ulster Rugby Union players as Brits and the same applies to our golfers.

Hate to say it Mick but Northern Ireland is in Britain and not the Republic of Ireland and since Mccilroy and Mcdowell are from Northern Ireland theyre British as well as Irish just like the English are British aswell as English. Also we seem to have forgotten that Lee Westwood won on the PGA tour for the Brits this year

Mick (#3), some of the people in or from Northern Ireland dont like being called Irish. My family in particular. Its a much greater ignorance to do that.

Agree with 1st poster- he's a complete bottle job, never seen someone so relieved to have such a bad hole at Turnberry. You could see that weight had gone off his shoulders and he could move into the comfort zone of being an also-ran.

1putt4life- N.Ireland is not in Britain. It's in the UK and is also known as being part of the British Isles but the BI is not an actual geographical term.

Nice to see attention given to Ross Fisher, but he's got to be realistic about his putting. Followed him at a tournament this year and he played superbly tee-to-green, then couldn't hole a thing. More of the same during his early-season US appearances this year when his putting stat's were invariably close to last. Hope he gets it sorted out sooner rather than later, then he'll be a consistent winner.
Ooh, hate the word "Brit", but British golfer Ian Poulter also won in the States this year.

My picks to do well in this major are Rory McIlroy (if he would learn how to putt he would win every week, never seen someone finish so high consistently without holing anything, esp outside of 10 feet), Matt Kuchar (as he is ridiculously consistent, 8 top 10's on PGA Tour this year), Harrington (as this course will definitely suit him and he's playing well again and has the best short game in the world) and am having a go for Schwartzel (since you can get him at 100/1 which is pretty awesome for a player like him). But go Rory!!

Ross Fisher is the perfect example to any youngster. Hard work is more important than natural ability, although in Fisher's case he lucky to have both. He could end up being a top 5 player in year's to come as there in no shot he can't play.

Great to see Irish golf as it is today for such a small nation. I reckon McDowell, Mcllroy and Harrington have a great chance this weekend.

Ross Fisher is the perfect example to any youngster. Hard work is more important than natural ability, although in Fisher's case he lucky to have both.
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Silly statement, I honestly can't think of a single player who's made it without the natural talent AND hard work, one is not more important than the other.

Ecasino27 and conwayconman I don't agree that Fisher doesn't have the bottle. You claim that some people have it and others don't but I bet you would have said exactly the same thing about McDowell right before the US Open, or Louis right before the third/fourth round of the Open.
I say any modern day player has what it takes. There have been many shock victories in majors in recent years from players who were thought not to have it. I think anyone could win this weekend and I think Fisher is as good a bet as anyone with course conditions and greens taken into consideration. I hope he or another BRIT does win.

To Mick and 1putt4life.

Please stop the petty arguing about nationalities. As a proud Northernirash man and golfer it gets tiresome. You are both right in that all golfers on the "island" of Ireland belong to the Golfing Union of Ireland and, politically speaking anyway, anyone in Northern Ireland holding a British Passoprt is classed as British. There, facts on the table, move on and grow up!

The fact of the matter is that when the guys in question play golf they invariably do so under the Northern Irsh banner just as the Scots, Welsh and English do so under their nation identities. The issue here is that the English media have a tendency to "claim" successful sports people as British when it suits e.g. if Graeme McDowell's final day charge had fallen short he woudl still be Graeme McDowell the Northern Irish golfer and if Sandy Lyle's bunker shot had not been so brilliant he would have been a Scottish golfer and Sir Nick Faldo was only ever English!!!!

Off my chest, enjoy the golf!

In Northern Ireland we're British when it suits us and Irish when it suits us. Depends what you're looking. Regarding the PGA golf, would be great to have a "local" player win another Major this year.

Post 14

No doubt other outsiders will win majors just as they have done through the history of Golf. If you are good enough to get to a major, you are good enough to shoot four good rounds.

However, not all good or even great players win majors, just look at Monty and Sergio Garcia, both great players, both bottle-jobs.

I have nothing against Fisher, just think he is not made of the right stuff, I would Luke Donald into that category as well.

Post 15 hurlersarerealmen wrote:"politically speaking anyway, anyone in Northern Ireland holding a British Passoprt is classed as British"
Hence: holding an Irish passport you are classed as Irish.
Disscusion closed: McIIroy & McDowell both hold Irish passports.

When talking about Fisher being a late bloomer does Poulter not come into the same catogry? He turned pro off a handicap of 4 and now is a top 10 golfer in the world. One of my favorite golfers but not a good ball striker, just determination and great putting stats make him the golfer he is....he will be Englands next major winner.

Post 18 Bookshelf101

I think you may have missed my point that in my opinion that the real issue driving these arguments is, in my opinion, a result of the preponderence of the Englich media to adopt people as British when they are doing well and align them back to their "provinces" when not doing so well.

The rest of the stuff was just build up!

Two scenarios to help characterise and explain my point, imagine the headlines:

"British golfer hurlersarerealmen wins the US Open"
"Northern Irish golfer hurlersarerealmen narrowly misses out on the US Open"

Its just one of those things that happen and no point in getting uptight about. Bit like shouting at the weather, it ain't going to change anything.

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