Rory Trial..."Fireworks when the case goes to trial"

Brian Keogh of the Irish Golf Desk spent the last two days setting in Court 18 listening to the lawyers representing Rory McIlroy and Horizon Sports Management bickering over bricked phones.

His takeaway?

It took four hours of court time to get through Day One of the business at hand and one thing emerged quite clearly — a 6-8 week trial with gentlemen such as these asking the questions will be no picnic for anyone concerned.

So in other words, for the Rory true believers who have tried to ignore the sheer stupidity of their man entering a trial in the weeks prior to the Masters, this is not good news.

There is also the detail involved. Keogh heard many tantalizing tidbits and concludes...

Little wonder that media members from the far side of the world — including sports writers — are planning to descend on the Four Courts when the case goes to trial on February 3.

Compared to the benign "it is what it is" press conference pronouncements of Tiger et al, the risk of severe and prolonged periods of utter boredom may be worth the promise of fireworks when  the case itself goes to trial. The potential parade of the main characters and the bit part actors in a real world drama is sure to keep the Fourth Estate occupied for some time to come.