WATCHING GOLF IN the desert isnโt without its hazards, as one fan was pointedly reminded while following Rory McIlroy yesterday.
McIlroyโs wayward rescue shot sent the gallery scrambling for cover during his WGC-Accenture Match Play opener against Boo Weekley.
His ball was in an awful lie propped up against a stone but as soon as McIlroy hit it, he knew something was wrong.
He quickly forfeited the hole and went on to win the next, sealing a 3&2 win, but it wasnโt so simple for the poor fan sent flying into a jumping cholla cactus in a bid to avoid serious injury.
Those things can be nasty.
Defo one of the true gentlemen left in the game he is a class act on and off field
@43 major trophies:
Yes.Fantastic gesture.One of the good guys.
Nice to see a footballer that still has his feet on the ground well done
@mark kenny: Agreed that itโs a nice gesture but footballers on massive wages should be in a position to give more. Even a guy on โฌ500 per week, whatever his profession, could easily afford to donate โฌ5 to charity. The per centage of wages donated should be left for each individual player to decide. Iโm sure 1% of Neymarโs wages would be a tidy sum.
Defiantly a nice gesture.. But it wonโt changing the world thatโs for sure.. But the message will surely resonate. If only every professional footballler done this every year or every so often.. Doubt theyโll miss or need that 1% of their wages.
@Acedeuce: 1% of 1million is 10Gs and Iโd imagine heโs on a hell of a lot more than that year.Imagine how far that would go in places like Mumbai
@Jamie: youโd definitely go far with that money in India.. Anyone with a decent wage in Ireland would get on well India as long as you donโt mind watching very rich people mix and completely ignore child poverty, rape, child trafficking, disease and plenty more.. But other than that youโd live like a king
@Acedeuce: what are you on about?who said anything about living there?i just pointed out that the 1% he donates would change a lot of peopleโs worlds who live in poor countries.Stop being a grump
@Acedeuce: maybe thats what he means? To provoke every top earner to do the same?
And i do think that most alreay donate quite a lot.
@Jamie: you said how far 10gs would go in India.. You didnโt say how far 10g would go for people in dire poverty .. But yeah it would do plenty. But Iโd have to hand the money over to personally, nobody in there right mind would trust the Indian government.. Theyโre able to spend billions on space programmes and send stuff into space but yet canโt feed their own people..
@Acedeuce: did you even read the article as to why I referenced Mumbai as an example?
One of the few good guys left in a sick environment after the way the game has gone
@ClydaMan: have a pint and cheer up ffs
What a nice guy , if every footballer did this Iโd have more respect for them. 1% is nothing to these lads but what a great gesture fair play to him, hopefully more follow
Even when he scores a screamer against your club heโs the kind of player you couldnโt dislike. Fair play to him.
Havenโt non-profit organisation FIFA got over a BILLION dollars on deposit in Switzerland? Surely they can take care of grass roots football. Fair play to Mata, but why not help world poverty in a more general senseโฆ
@Fionn Falcao: they are a registered charity believe it or not, one that makes money from getting countries to bid to host a world cup then also get the winning country to pay for brand new stadiums for said world cup while whipping up the majority of the profit!!
@Fionn Falcao: FIFA have given millions to streetfootballworld, the NGO running this charity.
@John Buckley: I should hope so John. Considering they have over USD$1,000,000,000 held in reserve
@Fionn Falcao: so you agree. They have done good? Whatโs with your one sided post earlier so?
Class act senor mata. Love it.
You wonโt change the world but you will change alot of lives. Fair play
Nice one Juan
The guy is pure class
Should call it the โJuan percentโ scheme
You wouldnโt see Sturridge make a statement like this. Class from Mata.
@Matt Taylor: why single one player out?
@Matt Taylor: Sturridge has set up a charity in his own name. Most footballers are generous enough but like above very unfair to single out individuals
@Matt Taylor: ahh sorry. You had another post in a different article where i thought you were making a point, scrolling down to this article it just seems youโre a knob
Sure 1% is nothing. Iโm giving nearly 60% of everything i earn to a group with severe learning difficulties who canโt tell left from right not to mind wrong from right and are really just an advertisement for repealing the 8th.
@Ruairi OโBric: that was probably funnier in your head
Team rivalries aside.. as football fans i think we can all agree that Mataโs a proper lad
I think the two line dancers could take a close look at how a real pro does it.
Could change it ten times over if he gave 10%! However. Still generous compared to many of us.
@Michael Ahern: There it is. Took a while.
@Michael Ahern: And he could change even more lives if he donated 50% of his wages Michael. You just couldnโt leave it at that could you,had to get the dig in.
@An Observer: I was going to write a big long paragraph on why heโs being an idiot but thatโs fairly obvious why. Itโs all relative Michael so are you donating 1%.. or 10%?
@Michael Ahern: yeah he earns a lot and 1% is nothing in the grand scheme of things. What is something is that he also gives to other charities in a more meaningful way. He also has a family immediate and maybe extended that he provides for, plus a footballer was protect themselves financially for their future after football. How many players just disappear into obscurity after there career ends?