THERE

were 35 members of the Dublin Journalists’ Golf Society at Lahinch last week and not one got a sniff of the impending announcement that the 2019 Irish Open was heading to the County Clare links. That will have pleased tournament host Paul McGinley (right) who has a proven record of keeping secrets. At the 2014 Ryder Cup, former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson gave a speech to the European team on the Tuesday night before battle in Gleneagles, but the first confirmation of his presence only came that morning. At Lahinch, the question was not whether it would get the Irish Open but rather, where were the famous goats?