It was so refreshing to see Rory McIlroy win this year’s U.S. Open golf tournament in Bethesda, Md.
Of course, we would always like to have an American win this coveted trophy. But being of Irish descent myself, I was pleased to see McIlroy triumph.
In his first win in a major golf tournament, he broke 12 records. He is the youngest player to win the Open since Bobby Jones in 1923.
Appreciates his family
I learned that McIlroy is a 22-year-old Catholic who grew up in a Protestant suburb of Belfast, Northern Ireland. His family is obviously important to this young man. On the green at the 18th hole, he hugged his dad, Gerry.
In an interview with Bob Costas, McIlroy said winning the tournament on Father’s Day “means the world.” He added, “I have to mention my dad, but I also have to mention my mum, who’s back home watching. Everything they’ve done for me . . . I can’t thank them enough.”
NBC drops words in pledge
While McIlroy is a winner, I can’t say the same for NBC. The network removed the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance during their final round coverage of the U.S. Open — twice.
Although the network gave a limp apology, critics of this fiasco see it as an assault against people of faith. It seems ironic that these words would be left out of the pledge at a tournament won by a man of faith!
We should be vigilant about attempts to remove these words from the pledge. After all, many people came to America in order to practice their faith freely and openly. If you don’t like what NBC did, voice your disapproval through their Web site at www.nbc.com