Notebook: Rory McIlroy invites pal Rickie Fowler to 2015 Irish Open

NAPLES, Fla. – Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler first played against each other at Royal County Down in the 2007 Walker Cup, when Fowler and Billy Horschel defeated McIlroy and Jonathan Caldwell in a foursomes match. 

 

McIlroy and Fowler return next year as part of the field at the Irish Open. 

 

The Rory Foundation is the host of the Irish Open, and McIlroy figured his good friend would be the perfect addition to the field. 

 

"I know the Irish crowds will really take to him and enjoy seeing him in action next May," McIlroy said Tuesday in Dubai. "We have become good friends since we played at Royal County Down in the Walker Cup in 2007, so it will be special for us both to go back there. It would also be great if we could both be in contention toward the end, just like in the majors this year." 

 

McIlroy won the last two majors of the year. Fowler was runner-up at the British Open and tied for third in the PGA Championship. 

 

NOT A `WEE' AUTOGRAPH: Martin Kaymer was so exhausted from his wire-to-wire victory in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 that golf was the last thing he wanted to watch, even a U.S. Women's Open held the following week at the same venue. 

 

But he knows who won – Michelle Wie – not from any highlights, but because of an autograph. 

 

To mark the historic occasion of the men's and women's Open being held at the same golf course, the USGA asked both champions to sign a U.S. Open flag that had the joint logo. 

 

Wie went first, and then the flag was sent to Germany for Kaymer's autograph. 

 

"They had one flag for the women and men. And here was this massive signature," Kaymer said with a playful grin. "It was so big. `Michelle Wie.' You would think it would not be very much, but she was all over the flag. There was not very much (room) for me." 

 

FOX TALENT: Hall of Famer Juli Inkster will be involved in TV again next year, but for a different network. 

 

Inkster was among four people hired by Fox Sports for when it begins broadcasting the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and other USGA events next year. Inkster will be an analyst for the U.S. Women's Open, a major she won twice. She will be on the course for the U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open and select amateur championships. 

 

Fox also has hired former U.S. Open and Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin, former PGA Tour player Steve Flesch and Shane O'Donaghue, an Irish journalist who previously worked for CNN and RTE in Ireland. 

 

Fox already has Joe Buck as the host and Greg Norman as the lead analyst, along with Brad Faxon and former USGA Executive director David Fay. 

 

Inkster, the U.S. captain for the Solheim Cup in 2015, previously did limited work for Golf Channel this year. 

 

DIVOTS: Nick Faldo is the latest golfer to get his own radio show on SiriusXM PGA Tour radio. "Nick Faldo Radio" will debut in January and be a monthly show. ... Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama, paired together in the U.S. Open and British Open this year, are playing together again, this time on Matsuyama's home turf. They are in the same group at the Dunlop Phoenix on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Annika Sorenstam is among those playing this week in the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational. The tournament is held at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Del Monte. 

 

STAT OF THE WEEK: The top 10 players on the LPGA Tour money list are from seven countries. 

 

FINAL WORD: "I just think it's weird for me to watch myself on TV." – Michelle Wie, on why she hasn't watched highlights of her U.S. Women's Open victory.